


A Tale Of Two Lives

by Nothing_You_Can_Prove, Thecivillian



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), pricefield - Fandom
Genre: Ahri!Max, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Empath, Empath!Kate, F/F, Gen, Multi, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Other, Supernatural Elements, Vampire!Chloe/Victoria, Vampires, Werewolves, Wolf!Max, amberprice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 02:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 90,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11094597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thecivillian/pseuds/Thecivillian
Summary: In 2008, Chloe Price’s life was turned upside down when her father was murdered by a vampire and her best friend left, never to be seen again. Five years later, her life gets flipped again when the consequences of a 500-year-old action converge on Arcadia Bay, and Chloe discovers her past isn't what she thought. Cover art by Faithcael (Thankyou)  -(COMPLETE)-





	1. Sophie

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers, Thecivillian here
> 
> This is a collab between myself and Nothing_You_Can_Prove (aka Olivia). Without her help, this fic would not exist. Originally posted over on Fanfiction.net. This has been in the works since late February and is very close to completion. Due to this, I decided to release ALL the current chapters up to the recent ones we have done, (Some 20+ chapters) with the hope this fic will be finished before the end of June. (No reason why it won't)
> 
> This is my first time posting on here, so be gentle with me... please.
> 
> I'm not the best at writing, but I like to think I have a decent imagination, so that's what I'm trying to share. Enjoy.
> 
> So sit back and enjoy the ride, feel free to comment, leave theories, suggestions and all that good stuff.

**Sophie**

 

 

**Picture uploaded now to imgur, seeing as Photobucket changed there terms and want $800...  
**

**Back in pride of place :D**

 

**Nothing exciting ever happened in Arcadia Bay, the home of equal rights for all races living there. Over the years, it had become a sanctuary to all kinds of beings and people with unique abilities. The local blood bank allowed for a host of vampires to live mostly without incident, while the nearby woods provided a secluded area for werewolves to hunt freely without worry. So relaxed was the atmosphere in the bay, it was not uncommon to see a wolf or two walking down the street in the early hours of the morning. Vampires preferring the evenings and night times due to most being sensitive to sunlight. The day to day life of the bay was so bizarre from an outsider's perspective that the astounded holidaymakers' reactions to the various races were often the height of entertainment, but even that was a dying trade. Even the prestigious and well known Blackwell Academy's exclusive 'History of the Races' program was no longer unique, other institutes from around the country quickly adopted a similar scheme. Humans and monsters living and working together, mostly without incident. Yes, nothing exciting ever happened in Arcadia Bay.**

* * *

Rachel leaned on her elbow, lazily doodling on her notepad as her 'History of the Races' teacher, Mark Jefferson, wrapped up the conclusion of last month's project. On closer inspection, several of the other students looked just as bored as she felt. Since they had already received their grades for the work, she just wanted to get on with the next project. Usually, she would have her friend, Chloe, to keep her company, but March was a bad month for her. Instead of facing it, she always chose to hide herself away. Not that she blamed her.

Five years ago, Chloe lost her father, William, to a vampire attack. That on its own was bad enough. She could more than relate. Shortly after Chloe lost her father, Rachel herself had lost her mother, again to a vampire attack, and her father disappeared a few hours later under suspicious circumstances. The hunters' guild her parents belonged too took her in until her grandparents were tracked down and she lived with them. Where Rachel had grown stronger, following in her parent's footsteps to become a hunter herself, Chloe took the loss of her father hard. To make things worse, less than a week before her fourteenth birthday, she also lost her best friend, Max. She just up and disappeared the day after William's funeral. No explanation, just gone. Like Max and her family never existed.

Looking around the classroom for something to occupy her attention, the short blonde haired Victoria Chase caught her eye. She didn't look too good, with her head buried in her arms on the desk, probably to block out the light from the windows. If being a newborn vampire wasn't tough enough, having it forced upon you and then abandoned was even harder. Nathan really was an asshole. It wasn't so much the hunger that would drive newborns crazy, but the isolation. Victoria used to be full of life. Yeah, Rachel had butted heads with her a few times, but they had a mutual respect for each other. Now, Victoria's other so-called 'friends' gave her a wide berth. She couldn't go out during the day without having a constant migraine and being uncomfortably hot. Not a good combo. Unfortunately, this coupled with her mood swings made it preferable to just wait for her to come to you.

On the other side of the classroom, Rachel spotted a good target. Long blonde hair and a petite figure. Kate Marsh was not only a good friend but a useful ally when it came to meeting new people. Not to mention Rachel's own personal entertainment in the classroom. Speaking of… She let her mind wander to a few intimate scenarios, whether made up or real. That didn't really matter, so long as it evoked the right feeling. As expected, it had the desired effect on her emotions almost immediately. With the bait set, she passed a cheeky glance towards Kate and waited. It didn't take long before the effect became apparent. Kate's cheeks and ears flushed red as she spun around staring at Rachel, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. She quickly composed herself and shot Rachel an accusatory scowl, or at least an attempt at one, before reaching for her phone and tapping on it a few times.

**Kate: Do you HAVE to do that in class?**

**Rachel: Awww, but Katie, it's fun messing with an empath**

**Kate: I really hate you sometimes… You know how hard it is to block stuff out**

**Kate: Particularly THAT sort of thing**

**Rachel: Maybe it's because you're curious :p**

**Kate:...**

**Rachel: FINALLY**

**Kate: What?**

**Rachel: You didn't deny it**

**Kate: I'm about this close to canceling our tea date**

**Rachel: Boo... you're no fun**

**Rachel: Fine, I'll leave you with Victoria's emotional onslaught**

**Kate: NO**

Rachel looked over at Kate, who was looking back at her with a pleading expression before turning back to her phone.

**Rachel: Just how bad is she at the moment?**

**Kate: Well, she's still REALLY pissed at Nathan I assume**

**Rachel: Understandable**

**Kate: I think she might be considering killing him, although she is really trying to keep a lid on it… and I think she skipped breakfast.**

**Rachel: Soooo don't get too close :p**

**Kate: You know she wouldn't**

**Rachel: I know. Wouldn't mind to help out a friend. Not all vampires are assholes. Shocking revelation, I know**

Their attention was drawn to the classroom door as it opened and in stepped a girl with long, blonde hair. She was about Rachel's height she would guess. As far as clothing went, she wore a pair of blue jeans, generic trainers and a white halter top. Her face was soft with deep brown eyes, her expression looking slightly hesitant. A brown leather shoulder bag slung over her shoulder.

"Um, sorry I'm late," the girl all but mumbled as the classroom went quiet.

Mr. Jefferson turned to greet the new student. Rachel could have sworn she saw a flicker of hunger on his face as he eyed up the new student, but it was quickly quelled. Before he could reply, Victoria practically launched herself from her seat and out the classroom door, much to the surprise of everyone else in the room, except for Mr. Jefferson. Obviously, new blood still proved too much for the young vampire.

"Don't pay her any mind. Newborn," Mr. Jefferson said to the new girl with a small smile as a way of explanation for Victoria's reaction. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself to the class briefly?" he continued motioning towards the class.

The blonde turned towards the class, nervously grabbing her elbow as her eyes scanned the faces with a slight look of disappointment. "Hi… My name's Sophie Ambler. I'm 18 and from Seattle. I'm hoping to become an archaeologist in the field of 'History of the Races,' particularly those that are extinct… Oh and sorry, but I'm just a boring human." She finished with a small shrug. A few of the other students mumbled amongst themselves as she ended her brief introduction.

"Thank you, Sophie. Would you please find a seat? You're just in time as I was about to set this terms next project," Mr. Jefferson said, motioning for the blonde to find a seat. Rachel was quick to offer up Chloe's vacant seat to the new girl. Not like she was using it, anyway.

As Sophie took her seat, Rachel was suddenly reminded that she had skipped breakfast, the smell of apple pie wafting nearby. Her stomach gave a subtle reminder as Mr. Jefferson continued, "I suggest this project be done in groups. In fact, I strongly recommend it. This will test your ability to research and find information not easily obtainable. There is no group size limit and you're NOT competing against each other. I will judge your work on attention to detail and REMEMBER to quote your SOURCES." Rachel allowed Jefferson to continue on with the boring details of deadlines and such. She would get that off Kate later.

"Hi, I'm Rachel," she said to Sophie, who seemed to be fidgeting in her seat.

"Um... Pleased to meet you. I'm guessing this is someone else's seat," Sophie replied, sounding unsure of herself.

Rachel waved her off. "It's cool. My friend's not here today, which I suppose is a plus for me… Means I get the new girl to myself," she shot back with her trademark playful smile, causing the other girl to slightly blush.

"Um, are you always this forward?" Sophie mumbled, looking like she was trying to sink into her seat.

Rachel grinned and gave a small shrug. "Pretty much, You can ask poor Kate over there." She glanced over to see Kate not even attempting to hide the fact she was staring right at Sophie with a confused frown.

Sophie peeked up over at her and gave a nervous wave before she leaned towards Rachel and whispered, "I don't think she likes me."

"I wouldn't worry about it. She's an empath. Right now, she's reading whatever emotions you're giving off. Mostly nervous ones, I'm guessing," Rachel reassured the blonde with a grin. This, however, didn't seem to alleviate the girl's concern.

Mr. Jefferson stood at the front of the class and loudly cleared his throat to get their attention. "Now, for the remainder of the term, your 'History of the Races' classes will be classed as free periods. Use the time wisely and deliver the level of work I know you are capable of… Oh, and I guess you guys need a subject." He said while wearing a smug grin, earning a few groans from the other students at the teacher's attempt at humor. He let out a chuckle, holding his hands up. "Ok ok, I won't quit the day job. The subject is the Ahri."

As he said this, the classroom erupted into chatter and whispers. Rachel's phone vibrated and she used the moment of disruption to look at the screen. When she did, she saw it was a text from Kate.

**Kate: Need to talk to you after class**

Rachel smiled to herself, knowing that Kate probably wanted to drag her off to hit the books and get a headstart, So predictable.

She turned to the new girl beside her, curious to get to know her. What better way than through a project like this? "Hey, wanna team up on this? I can introduce you to a few friends of mine. Don't worry, I'm as bad as they get… Mostly," Rachel asked Sophie, who seemed to manage to sink even further into her seat.

After some thought, Sophie looked up at the smiling blonde, nodding gingerly. "Ok… I guess," as she replied, the bell went signaling the end of the lesson and the day.

As the girls packed their things away, Rachel leaned over to her and whispered, "Meet me outside at the fountain in five minutes, Kate wants a word." Not waiting for a reply, she bounded over to where Kate was sat. Crouching down beside her desk, her forearms on the desk while resting her chin on her arms. "Yes, you're working with us. You don't even need to ask," Rachel reassured with a grin.

Kate gave a small chuckle, "I know. It wasn't that I wanted to talk to you about." She quickly glanced towards Sophie, who was busy rummaging around in her bag. "It's about her."

Rachel followed her glance and then looked back to Kate, a little puzzled. Kate rarely took such a personal interest in people, so this must be a special case. Both an exciting and worrying prospect. "Sophie... What about her?"

There was a long pause before she responded. "She's lying, but it's not malicious. She's scared of something and…" Kate went quiet as though trying to find the words.

"AND?" Rachel pressed. It was unusual to see the young empath so confused over someone's emotions.

Kate let out a drawn-out sigh. "When I get a read on vampires or werewolves, I can sense their… nature, if you will."

"You're saying she's a werewolf," Rachel asked, frowning slightly. It wouldn't bother her. She knew a few. Hell, one of the waitresses where Chloe's mom worked was a werewolf. It wasn't a big deal in Arcadia Bay.

Kate shook her head slowly. "I don't know what she is… but there's something in her. It's frustrated, angry and tired. And she's afraid of it… No, she distrusts it. I can't be sure, but I don't think it, she, whatever it is, feels the same. It's so hard to tell them apart," she said as she placed her elbows on the table, rubbing her temples to alleviate a headache before glancing back at Rachel. "Can you embarrass me again?" she said weakly.

Rachel gave a chuckle, slightly shocked at her response. "Is it really that bad?"

Kate let out a sigh of defeat. "I'd rather deal with Victoria's emotional trainwreck. Anyway, I'm sure you've heard enough moaning from me."

"I wouldn't count on it," Rachel mentioned with a suggestive wink.

"If I wasn't so tired right now, I would so hit you. Go on, before I get my energy back." Kate lazily waved her hand, motioning for her to leave.

Rachel did just that, venturing out of the classroom. She saw Sophie standing by the water fountain just outside Blackwell's main doors.

"So, you ready to roll?" Rachel asked as she approached the fountain, readjusting her sword strap to make sure it was secure.

Sophie nervously eyed up the sword on Rachel's back, looking like it might suddenly bite her at any given moment. "Is that necessary?"

Rachel just gave a shrug, gripping onto the strap. "It was my mother's. Only place I don't carry it is in the classroom. It's all I have left of her," she said solemnly.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were expecting trouble," Sophie replied guiltily for hitting on a sensitive subject.

Rachel waved her off. "It's ok, you weren't to know. And no, not expecting any trouble… Well, no trouble that requires a sword. Only trouble today is a blue-haired depressed punk, and the cure is a few of these," she replied with a smile holding up a pair of joints and motioned for Sophie to follow her to the parking lot.

Chloe was sat in her beat up old truck, taking up her customary two disabled parking spaces. She rhythmically tapped the steering wheel to the beat of some rock song she had blaring through her speakers while daydreaming about nothing in particular. She was abruptly brought out of her daydream by a loud rapping on the bonnet of her truck. Glancing towards the distraction, she saw Rachel standing in front of her truck, dressed in her usual ripped blue jeans and red flannel shirt, her hands on the bonnet with a smile that went from ear to ear. Just behind her was a slightly shorter blonde girl, dressed in blue jeans and a white halter top.

Chloe grinned to herself and shook her head as she leaned over to unlock the passenger door. "Trying a new tack to cheer me up, are we?" she said cheerfully, nodding towards the unknown blonde.

Sophie visibly blushed at the insinuation while Rach just grinned back. "That depends… is it working?" she replied as she climbed into the truck, scootching herself to the middle and signaling for Sophie to get in.

Chloe rolled her eyes and smirked, starting the truck as Sophie got in and slammed the slightly creaky door shut. "I'll let ya know... Usual spot then?" she asked as she pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road.

Rachel nodded in agreement and proceeded to introduce Chloe to Sophie. After a short drive, they came to a stop just on the outskirts of town. The edge of the vast forest was within eyesight, just beyond the rusted train tracks.

* * *

"Welcome to American rust. Our home away from home, and our own private playground," Chloe exclaimed as the three girls walked into a large junkyard filled with old smashed cars, burnt-out wrecks, and various household appliances.

Sophie looked around and gave an appreciative nod. "Definitely fits you two... Not sure I fit in here, though," she said with uncertainty.

"Pfft, don't sweat it. If ya passed the Rach and Kate test, you're ok in my book," Chloe said over her shoulder as she and Rachel made their way into the makeshift shelter. Taking a seat, Rachel shot her a brief guilty look, followed by mouthing the words, 'I'll tell you later'. Shrugging, Chloe plonked herself down next to Rachel on an old car seat. "Take a seat, Pete," she said to Sophie, gesturing to the two available seats either side of them and then taking an offered joint off Rachel, lighting it up and taking a deep hit.

"So, Soph, what's ya story?" Chloe asked as she lazily slouched back on her chair, blowing several small smoke rings. Rachel sat up in her chair, giving Sophie an encouraging smile.

Reluctantly, she let out a sigh and gave a small shrug. "Not much to tell really. I'm an orphan. Pretty much been on my own since I was fourteen. Love archaeology and anything old, hence why I came to Blackwell. Other than that, not much to tell, really. I guess I'm just… ordinary," she finished as she nervously played with her fingers.

Rachel passed a glance at Chloe before speaking. "Kinda sucks, don't it? The orphan part, I mean. I lost my mom when I was fourteen, and haven't seen my father since. If I didn't find Chloe, I dunno where I'd be right now," she replied, giving her friend a gentle shoulder bump.

Chloe let out a small chuckle. "Hey, you saved me remember. I was a complete mess before you showed up," she said, giving Rachel a small smile before turning her attention back to Sophie and letting out a sigh. "Fair's fair, I guess, and you'll probably hear it from someone else anyway," she mumbled, shooting Rachel an accusatory look.

Rachel held her hand to her chest in mock offense. "As if… ok, maybe I'd mention parts of it," she admitted in a defeated tone.

Chloe let a smirk settle on her face as she half rolled her eyes, turning back to Sophie. "I used to have a friend. A really good friend. Hell, she was more like a sister to me, but more, I guess," she started as she took another hit of her joint and stubbed the end out on her boot.

Rachel noticed Chloe's eyes were already reddening. Five years and the painful, bittersweet memory was still as fresh today as it was back then. Sophie seemed to notice the atmosphere had taken a solemn tone, her expression pained. It reminded Rachel of Kate's expression when she first got a read of Chloe in this state.

Chloe cleared her throat, steadying herself before she continued. "Anyways, I was thirteen when my dad was killed by a vampire. Never did find out why… but it gets worse. The day after his funeral, less than a week before my fourteenth birthday, my best friend, along with her family, just up and left. No explanation, no goodbye nothing. It was like they never existed," she continued as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I'm so sorry," Sophie muttered. Rachel had seen enough raw emotion before to know this was actually affecting her. Some people were just very sensitive. Or maybe Rachel had heard this so many times she had become desensitized to it.

Chloe shook her head. "I don't want sympathy anymore. And I'm done being angry, I just want..." she cut off, got up and briskly walked out of the shelter letting out a quiet sob.

Rachel sat there dumbfounded. All the times this had been brought up, Chloe had never acted like this, usually lashing out at either someone or something or just screaming and shouting. This girl, though… Rachel looked from the doorway over at Sophie, who was already getting up and going after the blue-haired girl. They had literally only been together for two hours or so, and already she was under Chloe's skin in a way Rachel herself hadn't in four years. Deciding to see this to the end, she sprung to her feet and followed them outside.

Exiting their den, Rachel was greeted with a chilled night breeze. The sun had long since gone down and a cloudless night showed a sky full of stars and a bright crescent moon. Chloe was hunched over the wreck of a small car, visibly shaking with heartfelt sobs.

Sophie was stood a few feet behind her holding her elbow with her hand. She looked nervous, like a child admitting to stealing candy or something. "Chloe… what do you want…? What would you say to her?" she asked hesitantly.

Chloe spun around to face the shorter blonde, her eyes red and tear trails running down her cheeks, her hardass composure completely gone, hands balled into fists at her sides. "What does it fucking matter," she shouted angrily.

Sophie took a step back at the sudden aggressive outburst and then took two determined steps forwards. Still holding her elbow, she bit her bottom lip before taking a shaky breath. "You were the one that said you wanted something," she reminded defiantly.

Chloe hung her head and let her shoulders sag in defeat as she gave a sniff. "I'd ask… I'd wanna know if our friendship meant anything at all to her. If I actually meant anything to her. Why she couldn't even pick up the phone, write a letter or send a fucking text, but most of all… I'd wanna know why she abandoned me when I needed her the most," she mumbled quietly as extra tears rolled down her cheeks to her chin and dripped onto the dirt.

Even Rachel found her own eyes welling at her friend's admission. Sophie seemed to be fighting back a tear of her own, too. What the hell was it with this girl? Not even Kate had got this far, and this was her area of expertise.

"Chloe, I…"

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Sophie was cut off as a male voice came through the shadows of the wrecked cars, followed by a couple of different laughs.

Rachel instantly tensed up and reached for her sword, only to have her wrist restrained by a powerful grip. In the same instant, a tall dark-haired figure was behind Chloe, restraining her. A third, red-haired male had done the same to Sophie, eyeing up the blond's neck hungrily as a fourth guy, shaggy blonde hair and deep red sunken eyes, waltzed in the middle of all three girls.

"Nathan," Rachel greeted the blonde guy through gritted teeth. Of all the people it could have been, he was probably the last any of them wanted to see right now, particularly seeing as he hadn't fed… and that was saying something.

"Rachel, what a pleasant surprise. Chloe too," Nathan replied mockingly before turning his attention to Sophie. "And who might this pretty little thing be?" he said with a grin as he took a step towards her.

"She's off limits, Nathan. As are me and Chloe, as you well know," Rachel answered firmly as she elbowed the vampire that had hold of her in the gut. To stop him from retaliating, she drew her sword, pointing the tip at the doubled over vampire's throat in one swift motion.

Nathan stopped and turned his head to the hunter, still grinning as his comrade was eyeing up the blade pressing against his throat. "Now, now, Rachel, we were only passing through. Just thought we'd say hi. We're not here for a fight... Although," he stopped mid-sentence as if to weigh up his options, "it is tempting to grab a quick snack," he finished, glancing first at Chloe then towards Sophie, who's assailant seemed even closer to her neck.

"Then call you goon squad off and fuck off," Chloe hissed as she tried to pry her assailant's arm from around her neck.

Nathan looked over at her and nodded to the dark-haired figure, who then released her from his hold. "I guess we will be going then, have a good evening ladies," Nathan said shortly.

Rachel gave a small sigh of relief as she withdrew her sword from her vampire and re-sheathed it. "If I were you, I'd avoid Victoria for a while," she cautioned as she turned to face the young man.

He let out a drawn-out sigh. "Don't tell me she's still pissed at that. It was a month ago," he said drearily, turning his back to the young hunter as he took a step away.

She let out a chuckle, replying coldly, "I have it on good authority she wants to kill you."

The blonde boy stopped and turned his head towards her and gave a slight nod. "Thanks for the warning." He glanced over at the redheaded vampire, still millimeters from Sophie's neck. "Greg, we're leaving, let her go," he snapped.

The red-haired vampire's eyes flickered for a second before he sunk his fangs into Sophie's neck, causing the blonde to scream out in pain.


	2. Emotional Radar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate's PoV, about an hour after the previous chapter, see timestamps at the start.
> 
> Enjoy

**Emotional Radar**

**9:35 pm - Prescott Dormitory**

Kate was sat at her desk in her dorm room, surrounded by a mountain of books and papers as she tried to push through her English homework. Her room was her sanctuary from the emotional onslaught constantly radiating from the other students. Not that there was anything special about her room say for its other inhabitant, her pet rabbit, Alice. Being this close to Alice, Kate found it easy to just focus on her, thus using her as an emotional barricade from everyone else. It wasn't perfect by any means. If Alice was spooked Kate felt it. Luckily enough for her, Alice was getting used to the random noises that came from the corridor and other various dorm rooms. Resting her elbow on her desk and her head on her hand, she glanced over at her pet as she peacefully gnawed on a carrot.

Smiling to herself, Kate turned her attention back to her work, abruptly stopping mid-sentence as she was hit by a wave of panic emanating from Alice that sent a shudder down the blonde's spine. Focusing on Alice and reaching out to find the source of the rabbit's worry, Kate was immediately hit with several dozen emotions from every direction. Most were generally content, happy or just worried, probably about some classwork Kate thought to herself, as well as a few emotions that made the blonde blush. The only issue being an empath, sometimes you got far more information than you wanted and it felt like intruding, but it was difficult to filter out when people were so open about it.

Quickly filtering out the obvious distractions, Kate almost doubled over in her seat as she was hit with a torrent of strong, conflicting emotions all emanating from the same person… or was it people? Anger, fear, hatred, sorrow, aggression and most of all regret. That one emotion appeared to override all others. Amongst the chaos, Kate recognized the aura almost instantly. There was only one person she had met with that much internal conflict.

"Sophie," Kate gasped as she felt her eyes well up at the young girl's emotional torrent. Grabbing her phone, she got to her feet and left her homework unfinished as she made her way out of the dorm building into the night, using her ability like an emotional radar to home in on Sophie.

It wasn't long before Kate found herself following Sophie's emotional distress call into the woods behind Blackwell Academy. Using her phone's flashlight to light her way, she made every attempt not to end up on her ass as she narrowly avoided tripping over several exposed tree roots. The clear night sky and crescent moon were blotted out by the ever-reaching canopy of the trees until she came face to face with a sheer cliff, wet boggy mud at the base. Kate could feel she was close. Sophie had long stopped moving. It had crossed her mind that the other girl might not want to be found, but it wasn't in Kate's nature to sit back and do nothing when someone was hurting. If she was feeling like this, she would want someone to come after her. The intensity of the second-hand emotions she was feeling from the young girl only made her more certain of that.

Examining the cliff face, Kate looked to the left and right, trying to decide which way to go. She eventually decided on using meany miny mo to choose and started walking along the cliff face to the right.

"I guess right is right... so punny," she chuckled to herself as she trudged through the soggy mud.

After some time, she came upon a small cave entrance. The roof of the cave was only two feet or so higher than herself and even with her phones light, it barely lit up the entrance. Feeling a little nervous, she took a few experimental steps inside, sensing the pull of Sophie's emotions coming from within.

"Sophie, you in here?" she called out into the depths of the cave, her voice echoing off the cave walls several times.

The feeling of apprehension Kate felt from Sophie told her she was deeper inside. Taking a deep breath she pushed on deeper, shining her phone's light on the floor as she went. As the light passed across the ground, Kate made a worrying discovery. She stopped for a moment when she spotted what looked like the paw print of either a large dog or wolf. Neither of those possibilities was good.

"Umm, Sophie, this might not be the best place to hide. I think either a large dog or wolf comes in here," Kate said out loud, feeling a little anxious at the recent discovery. She instantly sensed Sophie's amusement at her statement.

"Glad I amuse you," Kate mumbled as she worked her way over a few slippery flat rocks, tripping over a loose stone as she cleared them. One misstep and she came tumbling to the ground, her phone smashing as it hit the cave wall. "Dammit," she moaned as she got back up. "I'm ok… Nothing's broken… well, except my phone," she called out after sensing Sophie's concern at her outburst, "which means I can't see… don't suppose you could turn your phone's light on if you have it?" Kate asked hopefully.

After a few moments with no reply, Kate let out a sigh as she slowly started making her way once again, feeling her way along the damp cave wall as her nose picked up the faint scent of freshly cooked toffee. Putting it down to skipping dinner yet again she continued on, stopping as she noticed a dim blue orb making its way towards her. The orb halted and hovered a few feet in front of her. It really didn't do anything for the lighting situation, but at least it was something. Kate was about to say something when the blue light turned to a brilliant white, causing the blonde to shut her eyes and shield them with her hand at its intensity. A few seconds later, the light dimmed and Kate opened her eyes to see the orb emitting a more pleasant glow lighting up the cave in every direction a good twenty to thirty feet.

"Are you doing that?" Kate asked as she started confidently following the white orb deeper into the cave. "You know, being able to do that, I wouldn't call you boring," she said with a small chuckle as she recalled Sophie's introduction earlier that day in class.

Turning a bend in the cave the orb zipped ahead a few feet, lighting up a large cavern some fifteen feet high carved out in an almost perfect semicircle. The walls glistened with water and patches of algae. Kate's gaze, however, was transfixed towards the center as her eyes went wide. "And I DEFINITELY wouldn't say you're a boring human," she muttered in disbelief.


	3. Not All She Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all, we're back with another installment. In case it's not clear, this happens BEFORE Kate went and found Sophie in the cave.
> 
> Things are about to heat up, so enjoy.

**Not all she seems**

**9:20 pm Arcadia Bay Junkyard**

"YOU SON OF A BITCH," Chloe screamed as she flung herself the short distance towards Sophie, slamming her fist into the feeding vampire's face. His head snapped back, causing his fangs to be ripped from Sophie's neck as he stumbled. Sophie fell to one knee, clutching her hand to the side of her neck as a trail of blood ran out over her hand, down her neck staining her white top. Chloe positioned herself between Sophie and the red-headed vampire, only to have him launch himself at her, punching her in the gut and sending her flying into the wreck of a car.

"CHLOE," Rachel yelled as she sprinted over to the punk, who lay awkwardly inside the car she had landed in. Upon reaching her, Rachel let out a gasp as she looked down at her friend. Chloe's eyes were rolled back in her head, her breathing ragged a short metal rod protruding from her abdomen as her blood soaked into her clothes.

From behind her, Rachel heard a deep low growl. Turning her head to see the threat her gaze fell upon Sophie, who was now stood staring at Chloe's broken body, her hands balled into fists at her sides and visibly shaking. Her soft brown eyes had turned a slightly green color.

Rachel saw the red haired vampire coming up behind her. "SOPHIE, BEHIND YOU," she shouted.

She wasn't entirely sure what happened next. One second, Sophie was stood looking right at her, the next she had turned to face the vampire, an electric blue orb materializing in her hand. It shifted into a solid black sphere as she launched it into the oncoming vampire, the force of the impact sent the young man hurtling backward through the side of an old bus. The sound of ripping steel filled the air as he went. As if on a spring, the orb of black came back to the girl, turning blue once again as it rested in her palm.

Rachel's mouth hung open in shock at the sight of the new girl in front of her. Sophie was no longer blonde but something else entirely. Long blonde hair was replaced with short brunette hair, cut just above her shoulders. A pair of black wolf like ears poked out from under the hair, along with two long bushy black haired tails trailing behind her. Her white top was stained with blood down the back as her neck still oozed blood. Rachel didn't notice the dark haired vampire making a launch for her until the last second, barely managing to keep him at arm's length.

"Sophie," she grunted as she wrestled with her new assailant. Her plea was heard as she saw the blue orb hurtling towards her and shifting to black as she leaned back, putting the vampire in its path. The force of the impact tore him off her, sending him through the other side of the car with a painful groan. Before Sophie could call her orb back the third vampire lunged at her, clumsily grabbing at her shirt around her neck. He knocked the brunette to the floor as the orb came back, cracking the vampire in the head and knocking him clean off, still gripping a piece of Sophie's torn top and a piece of string.

"No," Sophie gasped as she clutched her hand up to her chest, looking at Rachel with a worried expression.

This was the first time Rachel had gotten a good look at the girl now. Deep blue eyes with a subtle hint of green around the edges. Her face was soft and slightly rounded with pale skin, her fringe covering her forehead. It was only for a second, though, as the girl's face became pained, slamming her fists into the dirt and she doubling over as she let out a scream. If Rachel had though what she had seen so far was strange, what she saw next definitely took it to a whole new level.

Sophie's scream turned into a low deep growl as her clothes exploded off her body, her pale skin replaced by thick black fur and her arms were now paws. Before she realized it, Rachel was looking at a jet black wolf with two tails standing mere feet in front of her, the electric blue orb resting gracefully on one of the tails. The wolf's face had the same deep blue eyes with a now more predominant green around the edges. The black fur on her snout was peppered with little patches of brownish colored fur. Another deep growl erupted from the wolf as she turned her attention to the vampire stumbling to his feet just behind her.

Before he could even move, Sophie descended upon him. In the blink of an eye, his head was firmly wedged inside her jaw and he let out a blood-curdling scream. It was quickly silenced as she crushed his skull in her jaw, shattering his skull with little effort and dropping the now rapidly decaying corpse onto the dirt as it disintegrated into dust. Sophie then turned her attention to Nathan, who had just stood there frozen in shock as the whole ordeal took place.

Suddenly snapping out of his trance as the black wolf advanced on him, Nathan raised his hands in surrender, shaking his head. "I didn't...none of this was meant to happen," he stammered as he glanced past the wolf towards Rachel, who was transfixed by what she was seeing. "I'm sorry," Nathan added before turning on his heel and disappearing into the surrounding wood.

The sound of breaking glass got Sophie's attention as she spotted the vampire that had bitten her. spotting her at the same time he turned and took off into the woods himself. With a deep growl, she launched herself after him, disappearing into the woods and leaving Rachel cradling a critically wounded Chloe.

"Come on, Chloe. Don't you dare give up now," Rachel urged as she shook off what she had just seen and turned her attention to the punk gently lifting her out of the car. She gently removed the metal rod from her abdomen, sat her down perched against the side of the car and began tearing parts of her shirt to use to try and stop the bleeding.

"What the fuck is going here?" A female voice cut through the silence of the junkyard, one Rachel instantly recognized.

"Victoria! Over here," she called, desperate for help. She just couldn't do this on her own.

As Victoria came into view, the blond's expression went from confused to horrified as she gazed upon the bleeding punk. Before she could get any closer, a deep growl came out of the darkness. Sophie appeared out of nowhere, pinning Victoria down in the dirt. The fur on her snout was stained with blood, bearing her teeth mere inches from the blonde's now terrified face, her orb a dark black resting on one of her tails poised to strike.

"Sophie, DON'T!" Rachel shouted in a pleading voice. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking back towards Rachel and Chloe and then back at Victoria. Growling and shaking her head violently Sophie backed off, letting the blonde up and glancing back at Rachel before whimpering and launching herself back into the forest.

"What… what the fuck was that?" Victoria demanded shakily as she got to her feet dusting herself off.

"I'm… not sure. Look, Victoria I need you NOW," Rachel said firmly as she continued to hold her hand on her friend's bleeding wound.

Victoria moved to the two girls side and swallowed hard. "I don't think…"

"You'll be fine, Torie. You're the ONLY one that can save her," Rachel pleaded to the blonde vampire.

Victoria already knew the answer, but asked anyway. "What… do you want me to do?"

Rachel looked down at her dying friend her breathing becoming weaker with each breath. A tear rolled down the young hunter's cheek as she looked back up at the blond vampire. "She won't make it to the hospital, Torie… You have to turn her." Victoria stood there as she took in the hunter's request.

"No," Chloe's voice was low and weak.

Rachel looked down at the punk, "Don't you fucking dare, Chloe Elizabeth Price. She can save you," she said angrily, but Chloe just shook her head. Rachel took her hand off the wound and gripped her hand as she sobbed. "Chloe please," she pleaded. "Don't leave me alone."

Chloe let out a weak chuckle as she smiled up at the blonde. "It's gonna be ok ya know… Maybe now… I'll get some peace," she murmured weakly.

Rachel slammed her free fist against the side of the old car, causing what was left of the glass to fall out of the window frame. "FUCK THAT SHIT," she shouted angrily as she wracked her brain for something… anything as she hung her head sobbing, "gimme a week," she sobbed. Chloe gently shook her head. "Fine, a day. Gimme a fucking day and I'll find a reason for you to live. If I don't..." she looked into Chloe's blue eyes pleading. "If I don't... I'll do it myself," Rachel offered hesitantly. Chloe raised her hand up to Rachel's cheek, wiping some of the tears away. "Please, Chloe."

"Pinky swear," Chloe whispered with a weak grin as she balled her fist, extending her pinky finger.

Rachel let out a watery chuckle. "You fucking nerd," she sobbed as she hooked her pinky around Chloe's.

"Of course." Chloe looked up at Victoria who eyes were red and puffy and nodded.

Regaining her composure, Victoria kneeled down beside the bluenette looking nervously at Rachel then at Chloe. After the anxious exchange, she bit into her own wrist, causing thick dark blood to seep from the wound and offered it to Chloe with a grimace. Rachel raised Chloe's head up as Victoria's blood dripped into her mouth. The red liquid causing the punk to cough and splutter several times as she swallowed.

"That tastes rank," Chloe spluttered weakly with a grin, her face scrunching up in disgust.

Victoria let out a chuckle. "You'll get used to it," she replied licking her wound clean as it healed up.

Rachel leaned over and rested her hand on top of Victoria's. "Thank you, Torie. I really mean that" she said as she looked back down at Chloe, who had now fallen asleep her breathing getting significantly stronger. On top of that, the wound in her abdomen was slowly beginning to close. Victoria glanced up at Rachel questioningly. "What is it, Torie? I know that look," Rachel said as she caught her gaze.

Victoria let out a troubled sigh. "Could you do it…? Could you actually kill her?" she asked hesitantly.

Rachel was silent for a moment before hanging her head on her chest. "Honestly... I don't know, but I had to say something. Hopefully, we won't have to find out," she replied her voice full of doubt as she checked on Chloe's wound that now looked as good as new before looking back over to Victoria. "Can you take her back your dorm," Rachel asked.

Victoria's eyes went wide. "What's wrong with her home, or your dorm? I'm not babysitting," she shot back crossing her arms slightly annoyed.

Rachel let out a sigh. "Ok fine, you can tell her mother her daughter's now a vampire. I'm sure that will be a pleasant conversation… Don't forget to include the part where you turned her," Rachel said to the blonde vampire with a hint of a threat.

Victoria was taken aback by that prospect. "Err, well how about your dorm? It's best she wakes up with a friend, particularly one she won't want to eat," she offered.

Rachel let out a laugh. "Torie, you ARE our friend. And not just because of this," she said reassuringly

"REALLY," Victoria snapped. "You two go hot and cold on me day to day. One second you're there, the next you act like I have the plague or summin'." She sounded genuinely hurt.

Rachel offered the vampire a warm smile. "Tori, we just give you space when you're having a particularly bad day. We know if you wanna talk you'll come to us, that's all," she said reassuringly.

"And how would you…? Kate." Rolling her eyes as the realization suddenly sinking in as to how the two knew how she was feeling. "I shoulda known," Victoria chuckled.

"Yes, you should have. I thought you were smart," Rachel shot playfully with a smile.

Victoria grinned back. "In my defense, I have had a lot to deal with."

"Besides, you've now got a friend back who you can relate to, AND you have… food in your dorm. And at the worst if it comes to blows no one gets hurt, well permanently anyway," Rachel said reassuringly.

Victoria let out a chuckle. "Well, that's a nice warm fuzzy feeling. And while I'm babysitting a newborn with more emotional baggage than myself, what are you gonna be doing?" Victoria questioned.

Rachel tilted her head to one side, looking down at Chloe as she slept. "I've got twenty-four hours to find a reason for her to live," she said quietly.

"Ya know, there is one thing I can think of," Victoria said firmly.

Rachel let out a chuckle and wiped away a stray tear from her cheek, "I have thought about that. And… While we are great together, it's not me that...completes her. I've already accepted that."

Victoria frowned as she looked at the blond playing with the punk's hair. "You don't mean… whatshername… Max?" she said, letting out a sigh. "No one's seen or heard from her or her family in five years. She could be anywhere," she finished defiantly.

Rachel looked at her with a crooked grin. "I think… I think she might be closer than we think," she said, glancing towards where the black wolf had disappeared into the forest.

Victoria followed her gaze as her eyes widened and jaw dropped. "No fucking way… you mean," she stammered.

Rachel nodded. "I do. It's the only thing that makes sense. You shoulda seen her," she muttered as her brain worked overtime piecing everything together.

"I did, up close. I thought she was gonna bite my head off," Victoria said with a shudder.

Rachel shook her head. "Before that. Before Nathan and his goons showed up. She got to Chloe in a way I have never come close to. Hell, not even Kate got to her like that. She had her GENUINELY crying. And Chloe Price NEVER cries like that. She didn't lose it until Chloe got hurt… And also, Kate said she was lying and afraid of something inside her. I think that was it. That's what she's afraid of…" What that was exactly, she would have to find out. "Look I gotta go, do some digging send her home tomorrow evening, and PLEASE make sure she's fed beforehand. The last thing I need is to be trying to prevent my best friend from eating her own mother and someone I consider a mom," she finished as she stood up, giving a smile before taking off and leaving a confused Victoria with a sleeping Chloe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that. Chloe is now a vampire, but what is Sophie?
> 
> How was the action, was it clear enough to follow? Any comments and critique are welcome.
> 
> Stay Happy.


	4. Internal Conflict

**Internal Conflict**

Kate stood at the entrance of the cavern, in awe of the soft glow emitting from the orb. The light bounced off the water seeping through the walls, shimmering with an almost hypnotic quality. Once she managed to tear her eyes away from the spectacle, her gaze transfixed on a jet-black wolf sitting in the center of the clearing. Two sleek bushy black tails, one lying either side, encircled the beast. Sitting there, the wolf wasn't much bigger than normal, similar to the local werewolves. Two sad blue eyes, the irises of which were encircled by a thin line of a lucid green, stared back at her from a face of black fur. The snout was lightly peppered in light brownish fur, almost like that of a person's freckles.

Kate took a tentative step towards the wolf. Even though she felt confident knowing its identity, it was still a daunting sight. "Sophie?" she questioned, not that she needed to ask.

It was fairly easy for her to identify people based on their emotions alone. For example, Victoria often emitted bitter and resentful feelings these days, while Rachel nearly always radiated mischief and playfulness. Rachel hated it as she couldn't sneak up on her. Didn't stop her from trying, though. If anything, it made her more determined to live up to the challenge. Still, knowing who was in there and who was in control were two completely different things. With Sophie, that differentiation was a little more complicated. Vampires and werewolves were one thing, but having two distinct beings inside one body made for an interesting dilemma, one the blonde wasn't really sure how to handle.

The wolf lowered its head slightly, turning its face away from the blonde in a mix of admission and guilt. Clearly, she would rather be anywhere else than having this conversation. Kate breathed a small sigh of relief. At least she had a name to work with, even if it was a lie. After a few minutes of deliberation on how to proceed, she took another tentative step closer to the wolf.

"I know… I know that's not your real name Sophie, but that's ok," Kate assured her as she forced her nerves down. Sophie passed a quick glance towards her before looking away again. "This would be easier if you could talk too… Can you not change back?" Kate asked hesitantly. "Not that you don't look cool, you totally do, it's just I'd like to talk to you," she added quickly, not wanting to give the wrong impression.

Sophie shook her head slowly from side to side as Kate felt the frustration emanating from the wolf. Giving her a warm smile, Kate took another step closer. If she were to reach out now, she could easily touch the wolf. Deciding to stick to yes and no questions, she quickly arranged a few questions in her head and began eliminating certain conclusions.

"Definitely not just human," she stated as matter of fact. The wolf rolled her eyes at the blonde, causing Kate to chuckle as she held her hands up defensively. "Ok, ok, just thinking out loud… gimme a minute," she chuckled lightly before wondering aloud, "Maybe some kind of werewolf? "

This line of thought earned her a low growl from Sophie and at the same time two distinctly separate waves of annoyance. One aimed at her, but the other one was what caught Kate's attention. It was coming from Sophie but was aimed inwards. At the same time, she could feel the girl's internal struggle, like she was wrestling with herself. Definitely an odd situation, but this gave the blonde an idea.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend… Is this who you're afraid of?" Kate gestured to Sophie, indicating the wolf. She seemed to ponder this for a moment, bobbing her head from side to side before hanging it and letting out a drawn-out breath like a sigh.

"Is it a she?" Kate inquired, trying to sort out a differentiation between the two. The wolf gave a small nod, her ears pricked forwards as if waiting for the next question.

"I take it you don't like..." Kate stopped herself, quickly rewording the question. "Do you trust her?" Again, this question earned the blonde another growl, but this time it very clearly came from Sophie herself and was aimed internally. Whatever it was inside her was clearly frustrated at this reaction.

Kate let out a sigh and gave her temples a rub with her fingers. She could already feel a headache setting in. 'Time for a new approach.' she thought to herself, looking at the wolf with renewed determination.

"If I ask her a question can you answer it for her?" Kate asked firmly. Sophie cocked her head to one side at the question before giving an uncertain nod, clearly confused at the girl's request.

"This is for… whoever is in there with Sophie, no offense I'm an empath, not a telepath," Kate paused for a moment giving an apologetic shrug before continuing, "Do you want to hurt Sophie?"

The wolf seemed to hesitate for a moment before rolling her eyes and shaking her head. The other voice, however, was once again frustrated.

Kate let out a sigh. "Sophie, please, you need to work with me here," she pleaded. Reluctantly the wolf let out a sigh and shook her head. Kate was hoping to be able to pick up on Sophie's passenger's feelings, but at the moment there was far too much going on in the poor girl's head.

"That's not gonna work," Kate muttered glumly hanging her head. As she tried to figure out a way around this little barrier something suddenly popped into her mind, causing her to snap her head up looking squarely at Sophie.

"Didn't you hang out with Rachel after school?" she quizzed. The wolf nodded slowly in response. "And I guess you met Chloe. Those two are inseparable," Kate grinned.

The grin, however, quickly faded as she felt an eruption of guilt, worry and anxiety erupt from Sophie and she began whining. She laid down on her stomach, resting her head on her paws and refusing to meet Kate's eyes.

Without even thinking, Kate closed the final few steps towards the wolf, kneeling down beside her and gently rubbed behind the wolf's ears. Sophie tense up for a moment before relaxing at the blonde's touch. Running her fingers through the surprisingly soft fur, Kate felt a few rough matted patches. Upon closer inspection, she felt her throat tighten, gasping at what she saw. Through the black fur on the pinkish flesh of the wolf were two fresh puncture wounds on her neck. It didn't take a lot of brains to figure out what caused it.

"Sophie… That's a vampire bite," Kate stated as she gently traced her fingers around the wound. Sophie let out a small whimper, and this time both she and her passenger's feelings were in unison with this statement. A mix of resentment and anger. At least they could agree on something.

Getting to her feet, Kate tore the sleeve of her shirt and walked over to the cave wall, wetting the new rag in the water trickling down the rocks walls before returning to the wolf's side. Kneeling down again, she gently began cleaning the area the wolf could not reach as a million questions ran through her head. She had no idea where to even begin.

"Is Rachel ok?" she asked hesitantly.

If Sophie had been attacked and Rachel was there, she definitely wouldn't have just stood by and done nothing. That meant that the young hunter would have been in just as much danger as Sophie. Not that she couldn't take care of herself for the most part, but she was still in training. Sophie turned her head towards Kate, giving the blonde a reassuring nod. Again, the emotions of both Sophie and her passenger were as one. Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"And Chloe?" Kate added hesitantly, feeling drained both physically and mentally. She had trekked a fair way to get here, not to mention that being constantly exposed to other people's emotions was a tiring affair in and of itself. Especially multiple strong or conflicting ones, like those coming from Sophie and her passenger.

Sophie turned her head away, placing it back on her paws letting out another whimper. Unlike before, there were mixed emotions from both Sophie and her passenger. Sophie seemed uncertain, guilty too and not just for recent events, this guilt felt as though it ran much deeper, while her passenger appeared confident things were going to be ok. Choosing to trust her passenger on this, Kate let out another sigh of relief. There was also a slight flicker of annoyance from this other being, a sense that events surrounding Chloe had escalated more than they needed to. A feeling that whatever had happened could have been easily prevented if Sophie wasn't so stubborn or afraid, if she just embraced her true nature instead of hiding from it.

"If Rachel's with her, I'm sure she will be ok. Chloe's tougher than she looks, and Rachel can hold her own," Kate said, trying to reassure the wolf.

Tossing the bloodstained rag to one side, she continued to run her fingers through the wolf's thick warm fur, letting out a deep yawn as a shiver ran down her spine. Sophie shifted herself slightly, curling around the blonde and draping her tails over her like a blanket as she pressed her head down onto her side. Kate didn't even try to resist as she found herself feeling warmed by the wolf's thick fur. As Sophie's orb dimmed to a subtle glow, Kate felt her eyes close as she gave into exhaustion.

* * *

**Next Morning**

Rachel adjusted the sword strap over her shoulder as she made her way through the woods, following the set of wolf tracks. She hoped that these were the right ones this time. The only problem around here was tracking a particular wolf. Unless you had a vampire with you, it was almost impossible to distinguish between the different tracks. Having already tracked the waitress at the diner to her home and apologizing for disturbing her, the young hunter had already hit two other dead ends and it was already gone 10 am.

Following the new set of tracks had led her to a vertical cliff, far too steep to climb, but the tracks had gone along the foot of the cliff to the right. As she followed them, she noticed that a set of small human footprints joined the tracks as the mud became slightly soggier. If these were Sophie's tracks, did someone follow her? If so, who? For a moment, she thought maybe Nathan, but quickly dismissed it. He was terrified of Sophie and even if he had, she could clearly handle him. Unsure of what to make of it, she broke out into a sprint. The tracks were easy to follow now in the wet mud.

It didn't take long for her to follow the tracks to the entrance of a cave. The tracks, both human and wolf, disappearing inside. Taking out a small flashlight from her pocket and flicking it on, she followed them inside. After a short walk, she noticed a gentle glow illuminating the tunnel up ahead. Slowing her pace, she carefully rounded the bend in the tunnel to be greeted with a large cavern. The source of light, a gentle glowing orb, rested on one of Sophie's black tails.

Sophie raised her head towards the young hunter and then bowed it slightly, acknowledging the girl as she entered. Stepping forward, she stopped a few feet from the wolf pocketing her flashlight. A pair of black shoes poking out from under one of the wolf's tails caught the hunter's attention and she gave Sophie a quizzical look.

Sophie turned her head towards her tails as she lifted them up to reveal a sleeping Kate snuggled deeply into the wolf's thick fur. With the tails removed, the young empath started to stir, instantly aware of the young hunter's presence. Rachel leaned against the cave wall, grinning as she watched her come too.

"Morning," Kate yawned as she stretched out, sinking further into the wolf's black fur.

"Just wait till I tell Alice you've found a replacement snuggle buddy," Rachel playfully mused.

Kate, unable to defend herself from the teasing, just blushed and hid her embarrassment in the thick, black fur. She would never live this one down, not if Rachel had anything to do with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, poor Kate's at Rachel's mercy. So, did we guess the obvious yet?


	5. A Reason to Live

**A Reason to Live**

Rachel turned her attention to the wolf wrapped around Kate, seeing her in a new light after her night filled with investigation. The young empath had been right. Sophie was lying about something, namely her identity. The name 'Sophie' was an alias, used to hide who she used to be. Why, though, was still unclear. She hadn't found anything bad about Max or her family. In fact, it was as Chloe had said, like they never existed. However, in that brief moment, Sophie had shifted from human to wolf form, her appearance had drastically changed. At the time, Rachel had been too stunned to make a connection, but now she thought about it, she recognized her like that. Chloe had shown her pictures of a girl who looked eerily similar. Her old friend who had disappeared off the face of the earth. Maxine Caulfield.

If finding Max wasn't reason enough to convince Chloe to live, she didn't know what was. The blue-haired punk clearly still cared a lot about her, even through the bitter resentment of being abandoned so close to her father's funeral. Given Max's reaction to the events of yesterday, she cared about Chloe too. Proving the connection between Sophie and Max to Chloe, however, might not be so easy. It stood to reason that Max didn't want anyone to know who she really was and Chloe hadn't been lucid enough to see her transformation. Surely, if Max realized that Chloe refused to keep on going without a reason, she would come out of hiding voluntarily… if she really did care enough. Rachel suspected she did.

Not only was Max hiding her identity, she was holding back a much larger secret. Probably the reason why she had disappeared and hidden for all these years. Her wolf form proved it… Max was an Ahri. Twin tails and her orb were their most predominant features. Even in human form, those features stayed with them including, Rachel thought, a cute pair of wolf-like ears. The illusion charm worked much like any other, usually cast by a mystic or wise woman or the like. With the Ahri, though, it didn't appear to have a time limit. The rest of Rachel's findings were just bits and pieces. Nobody really knew where they came from, much like most other races, and no one seemed to know where the vast majority of them had gone. It seemed that over the last thirty or so years, their numbers had dropped drastically and no one knew why. A few suspected they just decided to blend in using their illusion charm. For what reason remained unknown, as they were one of the few races that everyone loved having around. Now all that was left was to get her to admit it. Again, not a simple task.

"I think that's the best I've slept in a long time. Surprising, considering we're in a dark and dingy cave," Kate mentioned as she idly began stroking the wolf's fur, gently untangling the matted areas with her fingers.

"Dark and dingy caves have their charms," Rachel added with an amused smirk.

Kate gave her a long, hard stare, trying to gauge unsuccessfully whether she was being serious or sarcastic. "I'm not even going to ask…"

"How come you're here anyway? Thought you'd be up to your elbows in Jefferson's new project," Rachel asked as she slouched down the cave wall, sitting on the soft dirt. She had been trekking for hours to find the pair. A moment's rest was more than welcomed.

Kate gave a small shrug and recalled the previous evening's events to Rachel, who listened intently while she idly played with her feather earring.

"Well, that might complicate things a little," Rachel commented as Kate finished telling her about Sophie's passenger.

Sensing uncertainty and a small amount of… guilt maybe, coming from the young hunter, Kate frowned slightly. "Rachel, what's wrong?"

Rachel hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before answering. "It's… about Chloe."

"What about her?" Kate almost shouted. Sophie lifted her head, pricking her ears forwards as the hunter spoke.

"Last night, when Sophie was bitten, Chloe got into a fight with a vampire. She got seriously hurt," Rachel replied, hesitation heavy on her voice.

"How seriously? She's ok, right?" Kate urged. She knew something had happened from Sophie, but didn't realize just how bad.

Rachel hesitated again, slowly shaking her head. "If Victoria hadn't shown up when she did… she wasn't going to make it, Kate," she admitted glumly as she wiped a tear from her cheek at the thought of Chloe not being with them anymore.

Sophie let out a small whine as Kate lay there against her, hazel eyes going wide as she put together what Rachel was saying. "Rachel, you didn't… force her," she gasped in alarm.

She shook her head solemnly. "Maybe I should have," she muttered.

"What does that mean?" Kate asked, confused as she felt Rachel's overwhelming self-doubt and uncertainty.

"I… did something kinda stupid. I made a promise I can't keep," Rachel mumbled again. At the time, it felt like she had no choice. If she had to decide again, she would do the same. Still, was it fair on Chloe? She had acted selfishly.

"What promise…? Rachel, what did you do?" Kate urged. Whatever she had done was making her feel terrible, the young empath could sense it like a gut punch. Powerful guilt.

Rachel let out a drawn-out sigh. "She was ready to die Kate… right there in my arms. And I couldn't let her go. So… I begged her to give me a day. If she still wanted to then I said I'd… I'd… Oh, god," she sniffed as she forced back a few tears. What had she been thinking? She couldn't even say what she had promised, let alone actually do it.

"You promised to kill her… Rachel, how could you?" Kate almost shouted in alarm. Her attention was drawn to Sophie as she shifted uncomfortably. The wolf clearly felt uneasy, guilty and panicked at Rachel's admission.

"What would you have done, Kate?" Rachel snapped defensively. Yes, it had been stupid and selfish, but she was certain that most would have done the same in her position if they cared even half as much about Chloe as she did.

Kate went to reply but, suddenly realizing she didn't know what she would have done, hung her head and let out a sigh. It was all too easy to judge someone after the fact, tell them what they should or shouldn't have done. Being in the situation was very different, especially when it involved someone you cared for.

"Besides that doesn't matter. While you've been sleeping with the new student, I was busy doing some research," Rachel shot playfully as she wiped her cheek, giving Kate a playful smile.

"I wasn't… What research?" Kate quickly changed the subject instead of taking the bait. She had made that same mistake too many times before.

Rachel grinned at the blonde flustered response. "Our project for this term. Don't tell me you forgot already."

"I haven't even started it, Rachel. Chloe almost died, wants to die, and our friend here is clearly having a hard time. I hardly think our project matters right now."

The young hunter just maintained her grin, giving a shrug. "Normally, I would agree, but do you recall what our project is about?"

Kate felt Sophie stiffen slightly, as well as a small amount of worry emanate from her. Her passenger, however, who had been quiet thus far, was suddenly very eager, almost happy.

Kate shook her head quickly, digging deep in her memory banks. "Err, it's about… ugh. I was finishing my other homework before I started on the..." her voice trailed off as she snapped her head towards Sophie and then to Rachel, who's grin seemed to be even bigger, and then back to Sophie, who suddenly looked anxious.

"No damn way… She's an Ahri," Kate shouted in disbelief.

Rachel nodded as she stood up, dusting herself off. "Either that or some mutant werewolf we've never seen before. My bet's on Ahri, though."

Sophie let out a low growl of disapproval, causing Kate to giggle. "So, you're an Ahri?" she asked in awe. Sophie's passenger practically exploded in joy at the discovery, while Sophie just hung her head in admission.

"There's something else as well. She might be able to help me with my small problem," Rachel said, a slight hesitation in her voice. She could only hope.

Kate looked at the young hunter with a frown. She was slightly nervous, but also hopeful. There was definitely doubt there too. "Rach… what is it? What can the Ahri do?"

Rachel gave the blonde a slight grin. "Well, they have a few tricks. Mostly involving that orb, but they do have another trick. It's an illusion charm to change their appearance."

The young empath snapped her head round to Sophie, who refused to make eye contact, finding a patch of earth next to her suddenly very interesting. "What are you saying…?"

"I don't think Sophie is Sophie at all. In fact, I'm almost certain I know who she really is," Rachel replied, still a little hesitant. She then began to relay her own previous evening's events, with Sophie letting out low whimpers and whines as she went over the more violent details.

"I don't get it. How does that tell you anything? Sophie got hurt, of course, she's gonna retaliate," Kate wondered out loud.

Rachel gave Sophie a knowing grin. "It wasn't until AFTER Chloe got hurt that 'Sophie' here got REALLY pissed. She actually growled." Kate looked at the hunter with a raised eyebrow, as if to say 'so what?'. "Yes, I know she's a WOLF, but she growled in her human form, and then changed to her Ahri form, no not the wolf you see now. It was then that I saw who she really is," Rachel replied more confidently seeing the wolf's reaction.

Sophie had all but frozen. Kate could feel again that Sophie's, or whoever she was, passenger was very happy where this conversation was going. The wolf, on the other hand, a mix of nervousness, fear and a certain amount of annoyance aimed at her passenger, something her passenger found fairly amusing.

"Rachel, you're killing me here," Kate pleaded. Finally, a possible answer to who this girl was, another hurdle unraveled.

Rachel took out an old picture from her pocket. Taking the last few steps towards Kate and the wolf, she handed it to the blonde. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wolf eye the picture and she could have sworn she saw her eyes bulge. "You know her, Kate. Or rather of her."

Taking the picture, Kate eyed the hunter before looking at the old picture and frowning. Two girls dressed as pirates, both wearing big grins. Kate's eyes went wide as she was hit with an intense feeling of nervousness, hesitation and a sadness that threatened to overwhelm not just the wolf, but Kate as well.

She saw the wolf fidget, looking towards the entrance of the cavern. Placing a hand on the wolf's shoulder and moving in front of her, Kate stared into her green encircled deep blue eyes, and then back at the picture. Tears now began rolling down the young empath's cheeks as the second-hand emotions from the wolf overwhelmed her.

"Max," Kate gasped weakly.

The black wolf let out a low whimper of admission. She bowed her head, allowing Kate to press her forehead against hers as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

"I knew it was you," Rachel sighed, relief washing over her as she closed the final step. Tentatively, she reached out and ran her fingers through Max's thick fur, smiling. "Welcome home, Max."

Kate could feel Max's tension gradually fade. She was still nervous, as well as a host of other conflicting emotions, but none of them quite as strong as before. "So, now what do we do?" she mumbled as she played with the fur behind one of Max's ears, her eyes closed.

"Well, I think it's time we got some answers," Rachel replied softly as Max broke from Kate and looked at her. "I have a feeling Joyce knows more than she's letting on."

Max hesitantly pulled back a little. Sensing her unease, Kate gently placed a hand on the wolf's cheek. "It's ok, Soph… Max. I know for a fact Joyce has missed you a lot… she does try to hide it, though," she reassured her.

Taking a step towards the cavern entrance, Rachel turned back towards Kate and Max. "Come on, let's go give Joyce a surprise." She smiled as a sudden playfulness filled her eyes. Kate knew that look all too well.

"What are you thinking? I know that look," Kate hesitated to ask. That look usually meant trouble.

"Weeeell, I'm interested to see just how fast Max is, but then you're gonna get left behind," Rachel mused playfully as she turned and sauntered out into the tunnel.

"Whooooa," Kate yelped, spinning around on her heel. Rachel saw that Kate was now firmly planted on Max's back, clutching at the wolf's black fur with a shocked expression on her face. Before Kate even seemed to realize what had happened, Max bolted past the young hunter, her orb sticking to her tail like a magnet.

"Cheater!" Rachel yelled as she quickly followed behind, struggling to keep up with the orb as it dipped behind the bends and twists of the tunnel. Breaking out into the forest, Rachel caught a glimpse of Max as she shot into the woods like a bullet. Kate clung to her back, giggling hysterically as Rachel herself broke into a flat out run.

* * *

 Rachel sprinted up the street towards the Price's house. Sweat ran down her face and neck, causing her clothes to stick to her skin as her sword strap rubbed against her shoulder. Max had bolted off ahead with Kate clutching to her back. Even with the extra weight, it didn't seem to slow the wolf down much, not that Kate weighed much anyhow. Maybe challenging Max to a race wasn't one of the young hunter's smartest ideas, but she enjoyed a challenge.

Approaching the faded paint chipped house, Rachel could see Max standing in the driveway. The young hunter didn't need Kate there to tell her that the wolf was feeling pleased with herself. As for Kate, she was still straddling the black wolf, wearing an amused expression.

"What kept you?" Kate teased playfully as Rachel approached the pair, doubling over panting hard.

"Like to see you keep with her... Or me for that matter," the young hunter panted as she playfully swatted at Kate.

"I'm not stupid enough to challenge a wolf to a race," Kate replied as she ran her fingers through Max's mane.

Rachel shot her a playful smile. "I wasn't talking about racing." She winked as she straightened herself out, walking towards the front door past a blushing Kate.

Confidently, Rachel knocked on the door before opening it and poking her head around it to see a disheveled Joyce coming out of the kitchen. She greeted the young hunter with a tired smile, looking like she hadn't slept all night. Rachel felt just a little guilty about that. Not only had she dropped the bombshell that her daughter had almost died, but she was now a vampire, something the young punk wouldn't be fond of. On top of that, Rachel had been questioning her all night about Max without much luck.

"Hey, Joyce, how're you doing?" Rachel asked guiltily.

"As well as can be expected. I'm just grateful Chloe's still with us... How's she doing?" Joyce asked concerned.

Rachel nervously fiddled with her blue feather earring as she looked back over her shoulder towards where Max and Kate were, but the pair had disappeared, confusing the young hunter.

"Um, if I'm honest Joyce, I haven't seen her yet today. I've actually been trying to help another friend this morning," Rachel replied as she shoved her confusion to one side.

Joyce tilted her head to one side questioningly. "I'd have thought you'd be helping Chloe. She's gonna need you… now more than ever," she shot, perhaps a little coldly, but the hunter just put that down to lack of sleep, again partially her own fault.

Before Rachel could reply, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Quickly, she checked it to find a text from Kate saying they were round the back due to Max's nerves. Pocketing her phone again, she turned back to Joyce with her confident smile.

"Actually, Joyce, I was kinda hoping you could help me with something… You see, I think that my friends… predicament might be right up your street," the young hunter replied as she entered the house, closing the door behind her.

Of five things Rachel was certain. One, Max was an Ahri. What that meant for her was unknown. Two, Joyce clearly cared for the girl. Kate had confirmed this countless times, not that she needed to. Joyce's reluctance to talk about Max proved it beyond doubt. Three, something bad had happened to Max. Something bad enough to force her into hiding, bad enough to allow a vampire to force himself onto her without retaliation just to keep her secret. Four, Joyce KNEW what had happened to Max, or at least had an idea, and finally five, Max was the missing part in Chloe's life. Sure, she had changed, but it was obvious those changes were only skin deep. She was still the shy girl Chloe had described, totally unsure of herself.

Rachel led Joyce through the house, out of the sliding double doors in the dining room. When they got there, Kate was stood by an old paint chipped swing, looking a little apprehensive.

"Kate… What's wrong?" Joyce questioned, spotting the blonde empath feeling a little confused.

Rachel passed Kate a questioning glance, who directed the hunter's gaze to a large bush towards the back of the garden. Taking a few steps towards the indicated bush, the hunter examined the dark green bush, quickly finding a pair of nervous green encircled blue eyes staring back at her.

"You can't hide in there forever, ya know," Rachel cooed encouragingly.

"Who are you talking to, Rachel?" Joyce asked curiously, quickly passing Kate a questioning look as she walked over to Rachel's side, examining the bush herself. Seeing nothing at first, she was about to turn away... until she saw the pair of deep blue eyes with a green band surrounding them staring back at her.

"Who's there?" Joyce muttered quietly.

Rachel backed off, leaving her to it. There was no need to interfere now. The eyes in the bush pushed forwards through the branches, revealing Max's black furry face. Light brown speckles covered her snout, ears folded back and head hung below her shoulders as the rest of her furry body emerged. Her tails hung low with her blue orb resting gracefully on one of her tails. The afternoon sun catching her fur gave it a shiny sheen. For a moment, Max looked like a child that had been caught in the cookie jar.

"Vanessa?" Joyce asked, taking a step towards the wolf. Her eyes went wide as her knees gave out from under her. Her arms outstretched towards the wolf in front of her, a gentle sob on her gasp of her next word. "Max? Oh, Max," she muttered as she inched forwards on her knees. Her eyes fixed on Max's, her outstretched arms encircling around her mane as she buried her face in the wolf's fur. "Max… Where's your mom? Where's Vanessa?" She mumbled as she wiped her face and got a good look at Max's furry face.

Max lowered her head letting out a small whimper. Joyce glanced over to Kate, who had taken up position next to Rachel gripping her hand. Kate's eyes were tearing up as she slowly shook her head.

"Oh, Max, I'm so sorry," Joyce sobbed as she buried her face once again into Max's fur. This… couldn't be happening. Vanessa was one of the toughest people she knew, smart and strong, making for a deadly combo. To think that she was… had… it couldn't be true. Yet, at the same time, Joyce knew. She had for a long time but didn't want to accept it. She still didn't.

After a few minutes, Joyce composed herself as best she could and led the girls into the house. She walked through the dining room towards the kitchen dabbing the tears from her eyes as she went. Rachel and Kate followed close behind.

"Joyce," Kate said sympathetically.

"I'll be ok, Kate," Joyce replied waving her off. Keen for a distraction she set about making some coffee and a cup of tea for Kate as she let out a sad sigh. "I always prayed this day wouldn't come," she paused for a moment as she carried the drinks over to the table. Placing them down, she looked over to Max with an apologetic smile, who was sat outside the sliding door. "I didn't mean it like that, Max. I just hoped this day would be with your parents too," Joyce said as she waved Max inside. "This is still your home, Max. It's been too long since you were here last,"

Getting up and walking inside, Max sat herself next to the table, still looking a little unsure of herself. She was quickly joined by Kate, who absentmindedly ran her fingers through her thick fur, gently rubbing behind her ears. The action earned a satisfied groan from the wolf.

Joyce walked back into the kitchen. After rooting around in one of the cupboards for a few minutes, she retrieved a large, slightly battered metal bowl and proceeded to quickly fill it with coffee and sugar. After giving it a stir, she made her way back and placed the bowl in front of Max, which earned a puzzled look from the three girls.

"What, you honestly think this is the first time I've had an Ahri in wolf form in my house?" Joyce chuckled pausing for a moment, nodding towards the battered metal bowl. "That was your mother's. I'm guessing you still have a sweet tooth." She smiled warmly.

Max lowered her head and began gently lapping at the steaming black liquid while Kate rubbed one of her shoulders.

"I knew you knew more that you were letting on," Rachel shot at Joyce accusingly without malice.

The older woman let out a sigh. "Sorry about that, Rachel, but there is far more to this than I think even Max here knows."


	6. Akira

** Akira **

Joyce sat in the armchair in the living room. Kate and Rachel took up half the old sofa themselves with Max sat behind the sofa, resting her head on the back of it.

"Max, you're not a dog. Get ya ass on the sofa," Joyce lightly scolded the young wolf.

This reprimanding caused Max to skulk around the sofa, gingerly climbing up and curling herself in the corner. Her blue orb sat in its usual resting spot on one of her tails. Seeing the opportunity, Kate left Rachel's side and quickly clambered over to Max, snuggling herself lazily into thick fur. Her eagerness caused Joyce to emit a light chuckle.

"Looking at you two reminds me so much of me and your mother when we were younger," Joyce smiled, looking at the blonde snuggled up to the wolf. "And you look so much like your mother. Well, except the freckles. Always wondered if they would carry over," she continued as she reached behind her, taking an old photo album from the unit and started flicking through it. Eventually, she stopped on one page and took a polaroid out, handing it to Rachel.

Taking the picture and looking at it, Rachel had to do a double-take at both the picture and at Kate and Max. The picture showed a small blonde girl on an old green sofa with a jet black two-tailed wolf curled around her. A small white orb emitted a soft white glow, resting gracefully on one of its tails.

"That's some serious deja vu shit right there. You really do look like your mom," Rachel noted, showing the picture to Max and Kate. Max tilted her head to one side slightly, looking at the picture and letting out a small whimper.

"Of course, she didn't always look like that. Only after someone annoyed her, or when we went hiking," Joyce reminisced as she pulled out another picture, again handing it to Rachel.

Taking the picture, Rachel let out a small gasp as she eyed it. The similarity was striking, almost eerily so. brunette, shoulder length hair. Two jet black tails, with a light blue orb resting on one of them behind the woman's slender figure. Two black pointed ears, one of which was pierced with a small gold hoop. The woman smiled, her arm draped around a much younger Joyce, who was wearing a big ear to ear smile herself. They seemed so happy and carefree.

Again, Rachel showed the picture to Max and Kate. While the blonde eyed the picture appraisingly, Max let out another small whimper as a tear formed in the corner of her eye. Sensing a shift in her mood, Kate tried to think of something to say, anything to shift the conversation away from Max's mom, at least for now. It was then she felt a pang of guilt coming, not from Max, but her rather moody passenger. This gave the blonde an idea.

"Joyce," the young empath started slowly as she continued to run her fingers through Max's fur. "Maybe you can help me sort out something I can't wrap my head around."

"Oh." The inquiring sound was cautious, non-committal.

Despite the lack of enthusiasm, Kate pushed ahead. She needed to get to the bottom of this, for Max's sake especially. "There's someone... or something else in there with Max."

"Really, hmm… that's a little sooner that expected," Joyce commented a little surprised. "Guess there's no real point in hiding it. Vanessa had a... passenger, I guess you could call her, named Akira."

At the mention of Akira's name, Max raised her head inquisitively and Kate got a sense of admission from the passenger. This piqued the blonde's interest even more.

"Joyce, I think Max's… passenger is also called Akira," Kate offered, as Max gave a small nod. "Is it possible they're the same... person?" Her question was answered by another nod.

"How does that even work?" Rachel asked.

Joyce shook her head. "Honestly, I have no idea. I know Akira and Vanessa got on very well. Akira, however, was very tight-lipped about where she came from or why she was around. We didn't exactly have other Ahri we could talk to. Vanessa was, as far as we knew, the only one in Arcadia. What we did know was that Akira was, or rather used to be an Ahri, and she is old... very old. Never did get her exact age but like I said, Vanessa got on with her."

Kate could feel a lot of sorrow in the woman's words, as well as Max's own pain. What she wasn't really expecting, however, was the level of guilt and sorrow she felt coming from Max's passenger, Akira.

"She really did care for your mother, Max. I don't think Akira wants to harm you," Kate mentioned, hoping that this would provide some small amount of relief and comfort. Max sure as hell needed some right now. Max slumped her head onto her paws, her expression clearly one of uncertainty.

"I'm not going to pretend to know what's going on between you two, Max. All I know is your mother liked Akira. Sure, they disagreed on things occasionally but when the chips were down, Akira had her back," Joyce reassured the wolf with a smile. Her smile faltered as she pressed ahead. "Well, that was until Vanessa decided to run. Akira really didn't like that idea and tried to talk her out of it, on more than one occasion."

"Run?" Rachel questioned. There must have been a reason behind Vanessa's desire to escape. Maybe Joyce could enlighten them.

Before anyone had the chance to discuss this further, they noticed Kate acting strangely. All eyes turning to her, distracting them. Kate stiffened as a wave of confusion, anger, and sadness, as well as the unmistakable sensation of hunger, washed over her. There was a vampire close by, very close.


	7. Chloe

**Chloe **

Max was the first to react, sensing Kate's sudden shift and letting out a low, drawn-out growl. A warning. There was no way in hell she was going to let anyone else get hurt under her watch. Whoever was trying to sneak up on them would get a nasty shock if they thought they would be able to lay a finger on any of them. Looking over at the young empath and getting a read on her concern, Rachel sprung to her feet drawing her sword. If Kate was worried, that alone was enough to put the young hunter on her guard. Max getting agitated did so even more.

Rachel's eyes were fixed on Kate's as her gaze seemed to be following an invisible figure, moving across the ceiling towards the back of the house. A dull thud drew her attention to the open sliding door as Chloe appeared in the doorway. Blue ripped jeans, black skull top, and combat boots, her electric blue hair hanging down either side of her face looking like she had just woke up. Her lips parted just enough to reveal her pointed fangs, her usual blue eyes replaced with a deep crimson red, indicating the young vampire had not yet fed. This was bad… REALLY bad. Exactly the kind of situation she had wanted to avoid.

"Shit," Rachel muttered, climbing over the back of the sofa. She put herself between Chloe and the other occupants of the house, holding her sword down to one side defensively. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest at the prospect of having to fight Chloe, apprehension clouding her judgment.

The only time vampires were beyond reason was just after turning. Until they had that first meal, they had very little control. This was why Rachel had told Victoria to make sure she was fed before coming here. Not that it mattered right now. She would find out what happened later. For now, she had to prevent Chloe from killing someone she cared about and get some blood in her. Fast. Not the kind of challenge the young hunter would willingly take up. For one, it wouldn't be easy and she just didn't want to fight like this. Not like she had much choice in the matter. Chloe's red eyes quickly switched from Rachel to Joyce before settling on Kate, who had poked her head over the back of the sofa, ducking back down as their eyes met.

"CHLOE, DON'T!" Rachel's shouting plea went unheard as Chloe launched herself past the young hunter, flinging her out of the way and charging towards where Kate was hiding. Her lunge fueled by a single-minded desire… blood.

Without warning, Max's electric blue orb shot out through the back of the sofa. It turned a solid black as it slammed into Chloe's gut, sending the shocked vampire hurtling backward across the room and into the garden. She landed on the grass in an undignified heap.

Quickly, Rachel scrambled to her feet to see Max slowly climbing over the back of the sofa, walking determinedly towards Chloe as her orb zipped back to her. The orb turned blue and came to rest on one of her tails, her eyes fixed on the young vampire.

"Max," Rachel muttered as the wolf positioned herself between Chloe and her targets. The young hunter felt a small hand on her arm, looking down to see Kate now stood next to her. The young empath's eyes fixed on Max, getting a read on her. In the meantime, Chloe had sprung to her feet and was eyeing up the wolf that now stood between her and her prey. She let out a low hiss which was met with a low, firm growl from the wolf.

"It's ok, Rach. It's just a warning," Kate muttered, not taking her eyes of Max. There was no way Max would hurt Chloe, not too much, anyway. If she did, it would only to be to save her from herself.

Without warning, Chloe launched herself at Max, who met the vampire halfway shoulder slamming her. She was sent crashing once again into the grass with a hiss. Undeterred, Chloe sprung back to her feet, launching herself once again at Max. This time, her fist connected with Max's shoulder, causing the wolf let out a sharp yelp as the blow sent her crashing into the side of the house. The wooden paneling splintered and cracked on impact as Max collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Satisfied the wolf was down, Chloe turned her attention back to the young empath, who was now hiding behind Rachel. Without hesitation, she sprung at the two girls. Seeing her best friend lunging towards her, eyes filled with hunger and no sign of hesitation, caused the young hunter to hesitate in her reaction. Inches from the two girls, Chloe was slammed into the dirt by Max's black orb pinning her to the ground. The young vampire hissed angrily as she tried to wrestle the football sized orb, trying to push it off her.

Kate watched from behind Rachel as Max struggled to get to her feet. She was clearly hurt but didn't let that stop her as she limped towards the pinned vampire, placing her good leg firmly on Chloe's shoulder. She withdrew her orb to one of her tails, the color shifting once again to its electric blue color. Her face was now inches from Chloe's. Their eyes locked and Chloe's hissing quickly faded into silence as the two long lost friends remained in a deadlock.

Kate felt Joyce come up behind her, a mix of caution and apprehension emanating from her. "Kate," she muttered quietly, taking the bizarre and startling scene in.

"She's ok, for the moment. Hungry and confused more than anything. But… if she goes at it again, I don't think we can rely on Max," Kate replied quietly hinting towards Max, who was panting quite heavily and clearly favoring one of her front legs over the other.

"Rachel," Joyce nudged the young hunter, who was still shocked. Shaking the shock off, Rachel turned to Joyce, who was holding a blood bag out to the hunter. Without saying anything, she took it and cautiously walked over to where Max still had Chloe pinned in their standoff.

"Chloe... Chloe, look at me," Rachel said firmly as she knelt down beside the young vampire whose eyes shifted from Max. She glanced at the young hunter for a moment before homing in on the bag of red liquid in her hand, instantly snatching it up and sinking her teeth into the plastic, draining it.

Joyce let out a sigh of relief as she watched her daughter feeding. She turned to head back into the kitchen to retrieve another blood bag from the fridge. Upon return, she noticed Max limping towards the living room with Kate at her side. Placing the blood bag on the table, she hurried over towards the pair as Max slumped awkwardly on the sofa. Kneeling next to the sofa, Joyce began feeling around Max's shoulder, earning a series of small whimpers and yelps from the wolf.

"You really are your mother's daughter, getting into fights," Joyce chuckled lightly as she continued feeling the wolf's shoulder. "Thank you. You didn't have to go that easy on her. I know it wasn't easy for you," Joyce reassured her, feeling sympathy for the young girl. "It's just dislocated. I'm afraid this is going to hurt a little."

"I get the feeling you've done this before," Kate observed curiously as she tried to direct Max's attention elsewhere on her body by rubbing a hand on her belly.

"Once or twice," Joyce replied as she pressed down on Max's shoulder firmly, earning a squelching click and a loud yelp, followed by a small whimper from the wolf. "That should do it," she proclaimed sympathetically, giving Max a reassuring scratch behind her ears as she got off the sofa to attend to her daughter outside.

Kate quickly seized her chance, taking her spot tucked into black fur. Max's usual internal struggle had given way to a temporary calmness.

"Nice to see you two getting along for once," Kate murmured sleepily. She could so go for a nap right now, but the evening was young and she felt there was a lot more to come. No sleep for thee. Max let out a reluctant sigh and Kate felt a small amount of frustration from Akira. "Oh come, on. If your mom trusted Akira, she can't be that bad," Kate sighed, rolling her eyes.

Max let out another sigh, her ears pricking up at the sound of approaching footsteps. She craned her neck over the sofa to see Rachel leading a sheepish looking Chloe by the hand towards them, Joyce not far behind. Kate poked her head over the back of the sofa giving a welcoming smile to the two girls.

"Kate… I'm sorry," Chloe mumbled sheepishly, not meeting the blonde's eyes.

"It's ok, Chloe. No harm done," Kate smiled. She didn't need her ability to tell that Chloe was feeling guilty. It was written all over her face and body language.

"It wasn't even you I wanted to… ya know," Chloe shrugged.

"Eat," Rachel finished the sentence in her playful tone, earning a slight scowl off Kate. Chloe let out a sigh of admission and nodded.

"Must admit, I'm surprised. It's not who I was expecting you to go for," Joyce added, curiosity in her voice as she came up behind her daughter, putting an arm around her hugging her. "So, who was it you wanted to… snack on?" she inquired, already guessing at the answer herself.

Chloe's eyes flicked towards Max for a moment before returning to the floor, sighing reluctantly, "The werewolf."

Max let out a disapproving growl, causing Chloe to stiffen. Kate just let out a small snicker of amusement. Max and Akira really didn't like being labeled a werewolf.

"So, why go after Kate?" Rachel questioned, sounding more than a little annoyed. She was very fond of Kate, more so than she would willingly admit. There was a reason she kept teasing the girl, and it wasn't just for entertainment, although it was fun getting her all flustered.

"Because I knew you would protect her." Chloe gave Rachel a knowing look, "As much as I wanted to go after the… wolf, I didn't want to hurt… it," Chloe replied, clearly unsure of herself.

"Maybe it's because you know HER," Rachel grinned knowingly. The urge to just spell it all out for Chloe was overwhelming, but she ideally wanted to wait till she was… well, Max again. Or rather, looking like Max again.

"I've never seen it… her, before in my life," Chloe quickly corrected herself with the new information. She caught sight of Kate passing Rachel a nervous glance and shifting awkwardly. "Kate?" she questioned the young empath accusingly.

Kate averted her eyes from Chloe's, swallowing hard as she let out a sigh. "Rachel, PLEASE tell her. You guys are killing me here. I got you practically exploding in excitement, Chloe feeling confused, Joyce feeling guilty and apprehensive, and then there's poor Max here feeling nervous as all hell… oops." She clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she just said and quickly shooting Rachel an apologetic glance.

Chloe stiffened staring at Max, her eyes wide. Max lowered her head, laying her ears back while Kate hugged her reassuringly. Kate stared at the young vampire as she stood there motionless. Her emotions, however, were in overdrive as a barrage of emotions erupted from her. Confusion, anger, doubt, relief, joy and realization. It was hard to keep up with and distinguish between all of them.

"Max is a werewolf?" Chloe muttered questioningly. Max let out a disapproving grumble, causing Kate stifling another small giggle.

"She's Ahri, to be exact," Rachel corrected. The distinction was important, especially considering how hostile both Max and her passenger were to the term 'werewolf'.

Chloe glanced at Rachel, then back to Max with a frown as something dawned on her, causing her to turn to her mother with an accusing scowl. "You knew. YOU KNEW and you didn't tell me!" she shouted accusingly, balling her fists at her sides.

"Chloe, calm down," Rachel urged, putting herself between Chloe and her mother. They didn't need another fight. One was enough for today.

"You knew what Max leaving did to me and when I asked you why, you said you didn't know... You knew all along!" Chloe continued shouting angrily over Rachel's shoulder, her eyes reddening as the young hunter placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I knew," Joyce snapped loudly. Her sudden raised voice stunned the angry vampire into silence as tears began running down the older woman's face. "How could I not… You think it was easy for me. I lost my husband and one of my best friends," Joyce muttered, passing a quick apologetic look towards Rachel. "Then I lost a girl I consider my own daughter, as well as two of my other best friends, never to see or hear from them again."

"Chloe, Joyce was about to tell us what happened before you showed up. Hear her out and PLEASE calm down," Rachel pleaded, desperate to bring some sort of order back into this conversation.

Chloe looked from Rachel to her mother and back to Rachel before sighing. "Fine… did you at least save me any bacon, I'm starving?"

"We haven't had any," Joyce replied with a small smirk. wiping her eyes. At least her daughter still had a healthy appetite… even if normal food wouldn't completely satisfy her anymore.

"Then why can I smell it?" Chloe asked.

Rachel frowned as she gave a sniff. "Odd, I can smell apple pie."

"I smell fresh toffee," Kate offered, feeling rather confused.

Joyce let out an amused laugh, "And for me, it's black cherry meringue. Never could cook that right," she frowned, annoyed with herself. The three girls and Max looked at Joyce questioningly, making her hold up her hands defensively. "Don't look at me," she said nodding towards Max, "what you're smelling is Max." Seeing all three girls turn and look at a now even more confused Max, Joyce let out a chuckle. "Vampires have a similar thing, although it's much subtler. From what we were able to figure out, it's just a means to make friends, to draw people in. It simply plays on what you like the most, which makes sense when you think about it. Ahri are, after all, very social creatures.

"I can only imagine what it's like for vampires," Rachel offered, giving Chloe an apologetic smile.

"Certainly explains why Victoria ran out of the classroom the way she did," Kate added.

"And why that asshole attacked Max the way he did last night," Rachel finished, frowning at the memory.

Getting comfortable in the living room, the girls sat on the sofa. Kate on the end snuggled into Max's fur, the wolf's tails wrapped around her, Max's head resting on Chloe's lap as the bluenette ran her fingers through her fur, while her other hand rested in Rachel's.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Max," Chloe said softly, earning a gentle whimper from Max. Passing a quick glance at Kate, Chloe saw a pained expression on the empath's face as she slowly shook her head. "Maybe you do… I just wish I knew why." She let out a drawn sigh, trying to get her head around all this.

"Well, maybe I can fill in a few blanks," Joyce offered as she took her seat in the armchair, tucking her legs under her.


	8. Vanessa

  **Vanessa **

Scanning the curious faces of the girls, Joyce took a deep breath and began her story. "I first met Vanessa at school. I was six or seven, I don't really recall exactly since it was so long ago. We quickly became friends, though. And just like Max and Chloe here, we were practically inseparable, causing our fair share of mischief." This admission seemed to surprise them all, most of all Chloe. "Don't look at me like that, I never claimed to be an angel."

"Guess we can all see where Chloe gets it from," Rachel added cheekily as she looked over at her friend. Max nodded in agreement, knowing all too well about her rebellious streak.

Smiling, Joyce continued. "At first Vanessa's foster parents were very protective of her and it took a while for them to trust me, but after a month or two they treated me like family. I guess things didn't really change until Vanessa's fourteenth birthday."

"What happened?" Kate asked, totally hooked on finding out what had happened. She wasn't the only one.

"I'll never forget that day." Joyce could remember it like it was yesterday. Her expression turned distant as she got caught up in the memory. "We were in her room playing. Her parents were absolutely against going out that day, which was a shame. It was a beautiful day, but they had promised to make it up to us the next day. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed, but by the end of the day we understood why."

She paused for a moment to build suspense, with Chloe sighing impatiently after just a second or two. "Come on, mom. We would like to hear all of this today."

"Alright, alright, I'm getting there," the older woman assured with a slight smile. "I remember going to the bathroom, leaving Vanessa in her room. When I got back, she was gone and her clothes were shredded all over the floor." That discovery had sent her into a blind panic, it would for anyone. "Of course, I freaked out. When Vanessa's mom found me, I was in hysterics as I told her what happened. Naturally, she had been waiting for it. She wasn't an Ahri herself but knew Vanessa was one. Never really did find out what happened to her birth mother." Over the years, both she and Vanessa had tried to track down information but came up blank each time. "All I know is, Vanessa turned up at a foster home little over two months old, with a necklace and a letter simply saying Ahri."

"Strange," Rachel mumbled under her breath. Missing, or dead, parents was starting to become a real trend.

Joyce nodded at the conclusion, acknowledging it briefly before continuing. "Vanessa's mom explained to me the best she could what Vanessa was, gave me her Auralite necklace. She then told me that when I found her to simply place it over her neck and then come find her. It didn't take too long for me to find her, hiding in the garden in a bush," Joyce glanced at Max and chuckled. "Like I said, like mother like daughter. It was fortunate she was in the garden, though. Vanessa's mom didn't realize clothes weren't part of the package when she changed back."

Both Rachel and Chloe snickered gleefully at this, while Kate tried to hide her blush in Max's fur.

"It was definitely an awkward moment," Joyce admitted, feeling the slight embarrassment from that time return. "Anyway, after that and a lengthy talk with her mom, Vanessa spent a lot of time getting used to having two tails. So many of her clothes needed adjustments, mostly her jeans. Took a while for her to get the hang of her orb, though… The number of times she broke something at school when someone annoyed her. Luckily, the first person to really annoy her was a vampire. He didn't appreciate it at the time, though. After that, nobody teased Vanessa to her face."

They would have been very stupid to after that incident. Vanessa had the patience of a saint, but if you pushed her beyond her limit, more fool you. That was a trait that had passed onto Max. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't hurt a fly. When threatened, either personally or if a friend was in danger, that was a whole different story.

Not wanting to evoke Chloe's impatience again, Joyce moved on swiftly. "As we got older, she became very popular with pretty much everyone, but she always wanted me at her side. She spent a lot of time in her wolf form too, mostly when we went hiking. Certainly saved my poor feet and I never complained about a free ride." She would be forever grateful for that. "Of course, it didn't come without a few incidents. I recall one in particular. We were out hiking in the mountains not far from here. At the time, we were taking a lunch break when we were attacked by a vampire from out of town… more specifically, he attacked Vanessa. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. We kinda felt sorry for him after Vanessa beat the hell out of him. Turns out, it was the first time he met an Ahri. The smell kinda took him by surprise and he lost control. After that, he actually became a good friend. Ended up moving to Japan after a few years, something about a building job."

Every now and then, she received an update on how he was doing. From the sounds of it, he seemed to be doing well enough for himself. At least someone from their past had come out the other side fairly unscathed. The same couldn't be said for her close friends.

Sighing lightly, Joyce pressed forward. "When we went to high school, we met a group of friends. You knew them well. They were your parents. Max's, Chloe's father and, yes Rachel, your parents too. We knew them well. Of course, we got a lot of attention. The boys certainly knew how to make trouble when we weren't around, but Vanessa was the unofficial queen of mischief. That illusion charm of hers got us in and out of so much trouble. Most of it was harmless, though," Joyce chuckled to herself at the memory. "It wasn't until I was… twenty-four, going on twenty-five, Vanessa was twenty-four, Rachel's parents moved up to Portland to work in the hunters' guild. Ryan and William also joined. So, for four days a week, they stayed in Portland, while I and Vanessa worked at a local cafe. Yes, the Two Whales. It wasn't the best paid, but it was fun and it paid the bills. We couldn't complain. It was around that time that Vanessa, myself, and shortly after Rachel's mom, Elise all fell pregnant."

"Wait, mom, are you saying Max has a brother or sister?" Chloe interjected. It didn't make sense. It couldn't be Max, she was just over a year younger than herself.

Joyce shook her head. "No, Chloe, Vanessa only had one child. A little girl you know as Max. I'll get to it." She raised her hand silencing her daughter, leaving her frowning in confusion. Kate could feel the confusion from Max, matching that of the blue-haired vampire. Was it something to do with being an Ahri?

With the renewed silence, Joyce proceeded to explain. "The day you were born Chloe, I and Vanessa were out taking a leisurely evening stroll down the beach. She provided the torch as always, while the boys were off on some mission for the hunters' guild. That was the night I guess all of this started. Or rather when it first started affecting us. We were attacked by half a dozen vampires." She smiled to herself, shaking her head slightly.

Max listened attentively, desperate for more information on her mother and her past. She had so many questions, very few of which had been answered. When they had been, it only led to more questions. This circle of endless confusion was starting to wear her down.

Smiling fondly, Joyce turned to Max. "Your mother didn't hesitate for a moment, Max. She ripped that stone off her neck and went to town on them. Even so heavily pregnant, not one of them laid a finger on me. Didn't even come close. Word of warning, don't piss off an over protective, pregnant Ahri. And certainly, don't threaten their pregnant friends." With that piece of advice given, she pressed ahead. "Once they were dealt with, I guess the excitement was too much for Chloe. I went into labor. Again, Vanessa didn't hesitate and carried me straight to the hospital. I'll never forget the poor doctor that tried to stop Vanessa entering, saying no dogs allowed… He was lucky all he got was a broken arm," Joyce chuckled. "I'm guessing Max here couldn't wait either, as Vanessa went into labor herself shortly after."

"Hang on... Are you saying Vanessa had Max while she was…?" Rachel trailed off, halfway between shock and amusement. This was a very interesting development.

The older woman nodded with a smile. "That's correct. The midwife said it was by far the strangest birth she had ever helped with. God only knows what the other mothers were thinking was going on, with me screaming and Vanessa howling the place down. Of course, your fathers did not show up until AFTER you were both born… typical.," she chuckled as Max looked at her, looking confused on hearing she was born to a LITERAL wolf.

"Hang on, mom. Max is eighteen, not nineteen," Chloe stated matter-of-factly.

Joyce shook her head a little, picking up the photo album from earlier and flicking through several pages. Eventually, she stopped and pulled out two slips of paper from behind a group photo of Vanessa, William, Ryan and herself, handing them to Chloe. Taking the papers, Chloe unfolded them. Seeing they were both birth certificates, she quickly went over the details.

* * *

 

 **Name -** Chloe Elizabeth Price

 **D.O.B -** 11th March 1994 23:55

 **P.O.B -** Arcadia Bay General, Oregon

 **Mother -** Joyce Price

 **Father -** William Price

* * *

 **Name -** Maxine Caulfield

 **D.O.B -** 11th March 1994 23:59

 **P.O.B -** Arcadia Bay General, Oregon

 **Mother -** Vanessa Caulfield

 **Father -** Ryan Caulfield

* * *

 The dates and times left the young vampire stunned. They were literally born minutes apart. Rachel helped herself to the papers while Chloe took this new information in.

Before she could get assaulted with questions, Joyce began to explain the cover up. "Later on, it was decided to make Max a year younger than she was, but I'll get to that. Anyhow, I ended up breastfeeding the pair of you that night. Obviously, Vanessa couldn't. The boys were confused as to what was going on when they arrived. So while Vanessa went back to the park to retrieve her necklace, I explained what happened. She returned and changed back, ended up going home in a hospital gown much to her annoyance."

That brought an oddly amusing mental image to mind, the whole incident did, really. It just seemed so… absurd.

"After that, Max and Chloe were pretty much inseparable," Joyce continued, remembering those peaceful years. "Eating, sleeping and playing together, up until they were about two. Me and Vanessa took turns feeding the two of you. Worked out quite well. It meant one of us got a rest every other day. Max spent nearly all of her childhood eating and sleeping in this house. We had Rachel and her parents come down every Christmas until your fourth birthdays. That was when things… changed."

The atmosphere shifted then to something much darker and more somber. Kate could feel the change better than any of them, negative emotions radiating from Joyce with such strength that she felt overwhelmed. Whatever she was about to hear next, this had not been a good time for Joyce.

Preparing herself, Joyce began to recall the events of that time as steadily as she could. "Turned out, the night we were attacked was part of a series of attacks. Ahri from all over the country were turning up dead. All apparently killed by vampires or a single vampire. We weren't sure exactly. Understandably, Vanessa was scared. Not for herself, but for Max. She was her number one priority. Hell, she was all our number one priority, after our own daughters obviously, but we weren't being targeted. The Ahri were."

It had been a shock to them all. Out of all the races, the Ahri were the most peaceful and well-loved. They rarely got into trouble and when they did, they solved it before it became too large an issue. That was why it had come as such a surprise to find out they were being targeted en masse.

Finally getting to the reason behind the conflicting birthdates, Joyce pressed on. "That was when it was decided to alter Max's birth certificate. She was still young enough, so she wouldn't really know. The hunters' guild took care of the legal side of it. The thinking was, whoever was hunting the Ahri wouldn't go after Max until AFTER her transition. Which, if they went by her birth certificate, she would, in fact, be fifteen and able to protect herself better. That buffer would hopefully give Vanessa time to teach Max how to use her abilities." They had put every possible plan in place to safeguard Max for as long as possible. "As an added guard, Vanessa and Ryan moved away for a year, leaving Max here with us. When they came back, Vanessa was using her illusion charm to hide her tails and ears. Most people around here forgot about Ahri Vanessa, for the most part. There were one or two friends who knew obviously, but they knew why she was hiding, so didn't say anything."

Of course, that hadn't solved the problem. Far from it. What it had done was give them all time. That was what they had needed the most. While it had come at great sacrifice, it had kept Max safe. Others… weren't so lucky.

To put it in context, Joyce clarified the wider problem in hand. "It didn't help the other Ahri around the country, though. As the years went on the number of Ahri kept dropping. Many thought they were just going into hiding. Only the officials knew the truth. The Ahri were being singled out and hunted. The worst part was, no one knows why. No group ever owned up to it, and no one could think of a reason. The Ahri were loved by anyone fortunate enough to meet them."

"I think Max is the first Ahri I've met," Kate admitted, now understanding the reason behind that. She had heard vague mentions of them before but never had a personal experience as far as she was aware.

"Me too," Rachel chimed in, with Chloe nodding to show she was the same.

With a solemn nod, Joyce returned to her tale. "The midwife that delivered you two was the first of our friends to be killed. It wasn't a big stretch to assume whoever did it was looking for Vanessa and Max. That was just a couple of weeks before Chloe's fourteenth birthday, before Max's true fourteenth birthday," she let out a sigh. "We were going to tell you girls then, after Max's transition, but it wasn't to be."

Things had taken a turn for the worse so quickly. None of them really had the time to process it all before something even worse had happened. A string of bad event after bad event. No amount of preparation would have made it any simpler. It had been out of their control.

"William was investigating the midwife's death when he was taken, tortured and killed." Her voice faltered, but she pushed through the sadness. Now was not the time for tears. "We know he didn't give up anything regarding Vanessa and Max. He took their secret to his grave. With this hitting so close to home, Vanessa and Ryan thought it best to go into hiding, at least until Max had transitioned. It was only meant to be for a few weeks. They waited until after William's funeral obviously. They knew how hard it would hit you, Chloe, but they had to protect Max and they didn't want me or you being in the firing line."

It had been a difficult time for them all, but it had to be done. They had all know it, not that it made things any easier.

Then, Joyce focused her attention on Rachel. "Last I heard about any of this was when Rachel's mother, Elise, was killed. I was so thankful that you had survived, Rachel. I didn't hesitate to offer to take you in, but the hunters' guild thought it best, to cut all ties for the time being. Whoever was after the Ahri knew about our connection to Vanessa." Swallowing hard, she came to the end of her explanations. "After that, I tried my best to carry on. On Chloe's birthday, I prayed for that phone to ring, or for Vanessa, Ryan, and Max to just turn up. And each day that went past I knew, I knew that was it, but I always hoped. Prayed. When I heard Rachel had started at Blackwell, I vowed to keep an eye on her. Luckily for me, Chloe took a shine to her, so that made things much easier."


	9. Once Hidden

  **Once Hidden**

"So, we just need to get an Auralite stone around Max's neck and she can turn back?" Kate questioned as the other two girls seemed to be absorbing the mammoth information dump they just heard.

Joyce nodded. "That's right, although I would've thought she would have had one already," she replied with a frown.

"I think she lost it last night at the junkyard. I didn't find anything when I went there this morning," Rachel chimed in.

Max let out a disappointed groan. Kate could feel her discontent hearing that such a valuable item was lost to her, as well as Akira's annoyance towards last night.

"Maybe we can get another one," Kate offered hopefully. She herself really wanted to talk to Max about Akira and try and sort out their differences. She was sure Joyce and Chloe also wanted to talk to her too. Then, there was Vanessa. Something had clearly happened there. Max had all the answers to the gaps in her own and Joyce's past. Well, hopefully, she would. Otherwise, they would hit an information wall with no hope of getting around it. Most of the people who might be able to provide answers were either assumed or confirmed dead. Joyce and Max were the only ones left.

Joyce shook her head. If only it were that simple. "It's not going to be that easy. They're very rare. You see, it's not just Ahri that can use the stones. If vampires wear them, then sunlight doesn't bother them anymore. For werewolves, they become more resistant to silver, as well as being able to fully resist a full moon's forced transformation. Even humans get benefits, like accelerated healing, improved strength, and speed. Not like that of a vampire but enough to almost make them equal."

"Well, it's obvious why the Ahri are being hunted then," Rachel announced confidently. Something so powerful would obviously draw people's attention, especially given its cross-race potential. The question was, who wanted them enough to target the Ahri in such numbers?

Joyce tilted her head towards the young hunter. "We thought about that, and while the Ahri victims' stones were missing, it doesn't make sense. You only need one. What possible benefit would someone gain having more than one? Not to mention that most vampires are very well off. That fact mostly takes away the possibility of a money motive. Besides, there's easier ways of making money for vampires for a lot less hassle."

Rachel thought about this for a moment when something occurred to her. "Joyce, how does a vampire overpower an Ahri? Max handled Chloe with no issue." Before the bluenette could interject with predictable protest, Rachel cut her off. "Sorry, Chloe, she was going easy on you," she said sympathetically, Kate nodding in agreement. "Also, I saw Max handle three vampires last night with ease. Plus, Vanessa handled half a dozen while heavily pregnant," she finished. Something just didn't add up.

Clearly, Joyce was thinking the same thing too as she just shook her head. "I don't know. As you know, every race and ability are given a class. Vampires and werewolves are class A, due to their combined strength speed and heightened senses. Kate here is a class C, her ability is passive and only a sense. Ahri, however, are different. Unofficially, they're class S, in a league of their own, but officially they're class A. Governments don't want to make a class just for one race. It might seem like favoritism or super race. Last thing they want is someone with a Hitler complex abusing it. Our theory was that whoever is behind it is somehow incapacitating or otherwise affecting their ability to defend themselves."

Max let out a small whine as she gently shook her head. Kate got the impression that both she and Akira were clearly disagreeing with Joyce on this one, but given the circumstances, they would have to sit on it for now.

"Um, Joyce, I think Max and Akira over here disagree with that," Kate interrupted, deciding to voice their opinion. It was the least she could do.

Joyce tilted her head towards Max. "Is that so? Hopefully, when we get Max back… well, non-wolf Max I mean, her and Akira can offer their theory. Might actually be able to figure this out at long last," she said hopefully.

"You ok, Chloe? I know it's a lot to take in," Rachel asked sympathetically. She had known Chloe long enough to realize when she was feeling overwhelmed. Silence was usually a good indication.

Chloe brushed a tear off her cheek and faced the young hunter. "No, Rach. I'm far from ok. I have a childhood I can't recall because I was too young. A woman I considered a second mom it turns out I bearly knew. My best friend, who I've known for as long as I can remember, turns out to be my best friend from the day we were BORN. My dad was tortured and murdered in order to find Vanessa and Max. Max has lost her mom, probably Ryan too. She's been running and hiding who she is for fear of being hunted herself... And no one knows why," the young vampire muttered angrily through gritted teeth as she forced back her tears. After some time, she turned to face the black wolf who lay on the sofa next to her, offering a watery grin. "I don't blame you, Max... for my dad, I mean. I don't blame Vanessa, either. I just… wish I could tell her myself. I have fond memories of her," she said reassuringly.

Max looked up at Chloe with sad eyes, her ears suddenly pricking up as though she just remembered something and jumped off the sofa. Using her teeth, she tugged at Chloe's jeans almost dragging the young vampire off the sofa.

"Whoa, what's got into you all of a sudden?" Chloe gasped in surprise, trying to steady herself. Max sure had a strong pull.

Kate let out a giggle. "I think she wants you to follow her."

"I kinda got that," Chloe snickered as she got to her feet and started following Max. She led them upstairs into Chloe's bedroom, her orb emitting a gentle white glow lighting the way.

"That's a handy trick... but why are we up here?" Chloe asked as she flicked on the bedroom light revealing her admittedly untidy room. Clothes and a few takeout boxes littered the floor. On the walls were a few rock band posters as well as several bits of graffiti. Max was over by Chloe's desk, shoulder barging it out of the way. The wooden feet protested loudly as they scrapped the bare floorboards.

"Hey, you've been in here five minutes and you're rearranging my room," Chloe shot playfully. Max turned her head to look at the vampire, gently shaking her head. She then turned back, pawing at the floorboards that were under her desk. "There's nothing there," Chloe pointed out.

Max rolled her eyes, the orb on her tail turning black as she casually flicked her tail sending the black orb smashing into the floorboards. Splinters and dust darted in every direction, causing Chloe to instinctively cover her eyes.

"Max, what the hell?!" she shouted as Max's orb came to rest on her tail, again turning back to its neutral blue. In the aftermath of the damage, Max began pawing towards the hole.

Curiously, Chloe took a step forwards, peering into the new hole in her room. Inside, amongst all the dust bunnies, cobwebs and small bits of trash that had over the years fallen between the cracks, was what used to be a white envelope. It had yellowed, for the most part, browning around the edges where moisture had gotten to it.

"What the hell?" Chloe muttered as she knelt down retrieving the envelope. On the front of it, her own name was scrawled in a very neat hand. "Max, who wrote this?" she muttered, turning to see the wolf walking out of the room. Her question was met with silence, left unanswered.

Turning the letter over in her hand, Chloe opened it, removing the letter as well as a small opaque purplish stone in the shape of a wolf's tooth about four inches long attached to a leather string. Turning it over, she found an inscription running down the center, 'Jiverb'. Shrugging and pocketing the necklace, she unfolded the letter, catching an old polaroid as it slipped from between the pages. It was a picture of three babies, all asleep side by side, with something written on the back. The date was April 11th, 1994. Friends at birth.

Putting the picture to one side, Chloe finished unfolding the letter and sitting on her bed, she began to read.


	10. Vanessa's Request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest of all the chapters

** Vanessa's Request **

Chloe,

I pray this letter finds you well. If you're reading this, then one of two things have happened. Either way, I am no longer around. That feels a little strange to write, I must admit, however true it will be by now. It's probably just as strange for you to read. Either, you've found Max and she's remembered hiding this, or you're a lot older now and have somehow found this without meeting Max again. God, I hope that's not the case. If it is, then this explanation is going to leave more questions and for that I truly am sorry, but I have to hope that at the least Max is alive. So, I am going to go with that. I don't think I can face any other possibility.

Firstly, I would like to offer my deepest sympathy for William. He was a good friend and I miss him dearly, as I am sure you do too. He was a wonderful father, not just to you but to Max too. The world is a much darker place without him in it. He never failed to make those around him smile, or groan in some cases thanks to that seemingly unending supply of bad jokes and puns. A trait Max unfortunately inherited. I cannot even begin to express the way I truly feel in the aftermath of his death. Words don't do it justice. They never will.

You should know the truth about his death, it's only fair. William died protecting myself and Max. For that, I am deeply sorry. Perhaps I should have done more, but right now I can't think like that. I have to protect Max. I'm sure you understand that, but I'm not selfish enough to put you, your mother or anyone else in danger. I can't. You've already been dragged into this mess more than you should have. Part of me realizes that my wish to keep you out of this may have failed to a degree. The other part hopes that regardless, you will remain safe.

You see, me and Max aren't exactly what you think we are. Well, ok technically Max is for the moment, but very soon she won't be. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, well, not in itself. Anyway, I'm an Ahri, Chloe. I'll save the exposition, you're a smart girl. There's a lot on the internet about us. Point is, me being an Ahri means that Max is also an Ahri, or will be on her fourteenth birthday, which is little over a week away now. Yes, her birthday is the same as yours. I'm afraid I don't have a huge amount of time to tell you all the details. It would take time I don't have. Hopefully, Joyce can fill you in there. Give your mother my regards, by the way. I'm going to really miss her.

Because of what we are someone or a group of people, we don't exactly know, are after us, and there killing any Ahri they find. Why, we don't know. This is why we left so abruptly.

There's not much I can tell you that I have the time to write down, I'm afraid. Hopefully, I'll get to see you all again one day, but if I don't, know this. I will deeply miss both you and your mother. I just wish things could have been different. I'll say hi to your father for you and, if possible, I'll try and keep an eye on both of you. It's the least I can do after all the trouble and heartache I have inadvertently caused.

I do have a personal request of you, Chloe, and I know it's a little bit selfish of me. You see, I don't know what Max will do. She may very well run, and I wouldn't blame her. It is, after all, what I chose to do. My only request is this...

Please look after my daughter. Stay by her side where I could not. Ahri don't do well on their own, and Max has never been alone since the day she was born. She's always had you.

And if Rachel is still around, tell her I miss her.

I love you all always,

Vanessa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :(


	11. JIVERB

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the one you've ALL been waiting for, well some of you anyways.
> 
> First a question: how do you go from reading a letter to landscaping a garden...? Read on for the answer.

  **JIVERB**

Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the letter. Even with everything going on, Vanessa had never forgotten her. That realization meant much more to her than she had ever expected it would. Vanessa had been a second mother to her and she missed her greatly. Nearly as much as Max. Knowing that she was… that she would never see her again stung. She swallowed hard, trying to pull herself together. Crying wouldn't solve anything.

Once she had composed herself, she took the necklace from her pocket and looked at the inscription again. She ran the word over and over in her head, trying to make some sense of the alien word. The more she did, the more she was convinced it was a name… who's, she didn't have a clue. But why would Vanessa put this in with the letter? Unless... Chloe's eye went wide with sudden realization. Was this what Max needed, an Auralite crystal?

Placing the necklace back in her pocket, along with the picture of the three babies, she went to leave the room. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly recalled Joyce's story of how she found out about Vanessa. Grinning slightly, she turned around and began rummaging around in her wardrobe for some spare clothes. She didn't think Max would appreciate standing around butt naked with an audience. Rachel might, finding it a hilarious anecdote to regale, but Max… no chance.

Finding a clean pair of Rachel's jeans and flannel shirt, she grabbed the blanket off the bed, bundling everything together and headed downstairs.

"You ok, Chloe?" Kate asked as the young vampire entered the living room, her cheeks still red from crying but wearing a slight smile. Max was curled up on the sofa with Kate, nursing a cup of tea, while Rachel and Joyce were going through the photo album.

Dropping the bundle of clothes next to the sofa, Chloe strode over to Max. Kneeling down beside the sofa, she wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck. Burying her face into Max's neck, she sighed deeply. "Thank you, Max," she whispered. In response, her friend just pressed her head against the punk's in silence.

"Chloe?" Joyce frowned at the sudden and unexpected display of affection. It wasn't like her daughter to be so open and public with her emotions like this.

"I'm ok, mom," Chloe replied, giving her mom a gentle smile. "Oh, by the way, I think you're missing a picture." She removed the picture of the three babies from her pocket, handing it over.

Taking the picture and looking at it, Joyce uttered a gasp as she ran her fingers over the image. "Chloe, where did you get this?"

"Vanessa. She had Max here leave me a letter. Judging by the state of the envelope, it was before they left," Chloe deduced, picturing the aging envelope in her head. To think, such an important letter was right under her nose.

"Is that…?" Rachel started as she peered over to get a good look at the picture, frowning. It couldn't be.

Joyce nodded, smiling at the return of the once lost picture, "That's you, Chloe and Max, a month old in this very house no less. I haven't seen this picture in nearly 10 years."

"Turns out we've known each other all our lives," Chloe announced, gaining some comfort from that fact.

"Not sure it counts if you don't remember it," Rachel added wryly. This was an interesting discovery, for sure.

Chloe simply shrugged. "Don't care. I'll still take it. Which reminds me… Mom, who's Jiverb?"

Joyce frowned at her daughter's question. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. The frown faded, though, as Chloe withdrew the purple tooth shaped crystal from her pocket, holding it up by the string.

"I don't believe... Vanessa, you little liar. You told me you lost it," Joyce chuckled, taking the necklace off Chloe and turning it over in her hand. Her index finger traced over the wording, all eyes on her. "You're half right, Chloe. It is a name. Korean, if I recall correctly. We spent nearly two weeks trying to figure out that acronym. It was Vanessa's 21st birthday present from all of us. It's simply all our initials arranged into a word."

"Is that… what I think it is?" Kate asked, eyeing up the purple stone.

Joyce nodded, already knowing what the young empath was about to suggest. "Yes, Kate. It's an Auralite crystal. I can only assume your mother meant for you to have it, Max. I guess she knew she might not be coming back," she sighed sadly before giving Max a gentle smile. "Always thinking of you. So like her…"

Getting up off the armchair and picking up the bundle of clothes, Joyce shooed the other three girls into the dining room before returning to Max on the sofa. Unraveling the blanket, she placed it over the wolf, setting the other clothes Chloe had got next to her.

Kneeling in front of the wolf, Joyce held up the necklace in front of her. "You ready, Max?" she asked.

Max eyed the necklace for a moment before closing her eyes. Instinctively, she moved her head forward as Joyce placed the necklace around the wolf's neck. Pulling the sheet over Max's head, she stood up and joined the other girls in the dining room to give her some privacy.

As Joyce and the girls waited in the dining room, the older woman noticed Kate looking a little disappointed. "What's wrong, Kate?" she asked softly.

Rachel glanced at Kate with a cheeky grin. "She's disappointed she's gonna lose her new snuggle buddy," she teased playfully, causing the young empath to blush slightly.

"I can't help it. She's like a giant, sweet smelling teddy bear. Just with actual teeth," Kate mumbled as she tried to hide her embarrassment, without much success.

Kate could feel the tension in the room. Joyce was about to see her second daughter for the first time in five years. Chloe was nervous to see her childhood friend after five years. Rachel was about to see the girl she had heard so much about from Chloe and Joyce and apparently knew when she was much much younger, babies even. However, it was Max's nerves that stood out above all others. Unsure of herself, as well as not liking... what she was, self-loathing. It was difficult to tell what with Akira's conflicting emotions thrown into the mix, not that it would matter soon. She would be able to ask Max herself.

After a few minutes of shuffling under the blanket, a head of long blond hair. A pair of deep brown nervous eyes poked up from behind the sofa, the girl they belonged to anxiously biting her lip.

"Hi," Max whispered nervously.

Kate's expression was confused. The girl looking at her wasn't who she expected, but instead, the blonde girl that entered the classroom yesterday afternoon. Chloe was trying to put the face she remembered from five years ago to the girl looking at her now. Rachel just gave a warm smile. She half expected this. Max wasn't exactly brimming with confidence.

Max's gaze fell on Joyce, who was scowling at the young girl. Her scrutiny caused Max to duck down slightly behind the sofa. Sensing the sudden increase in nervousness, Kate glanced at Joyce feeling some annoyance from the older woman, as well as the frustration coming from Akira towards Max.

"Joyce?" Kate asked curiously.

"Don't you even try hiding from me, young lady," Joyce spoke as though telling off a child, taking a step towards Max. "I want to see my other daughter, not some illusion. You don't need to hide in this house, Max."

Max lowered her head in defeat, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. A light shimmer flickered over the girl as the blonde hair receded turning a brunette color. Two pointed black ears poked through, laid slightly back. Light brown freckles peppered the young girl's face across her nose to her cheeks, fading as they disappeared down her neck. Her eyes flickered open, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes with a light emerald green encircling the irises.

"There's my daughter," Joyce proclaimed with a smile as she took another step forward, holding her arms out to the young girl.

Max's ears pricked up, a watery grin appeared on her lips as she sprung over the back of the sofa into the older woman's arms. Her two black bushy tails followed effortlessly behind her, her blue orb clinging one of them like a magnet.

"I've missed you so much," Joyce cried as the young brunette sobbed into her chest.

Chloe stood stunned, staring at the new girl in front of her. If she ignored the rather cute ears and tails, it was Max, right down to the freckles. She just looked a little taller, not much mind. She was still shorter than the vampire, but then most girls were. There was no denying the pull that was there, this was Max no question about it. Chloe closed the gap between herself, her mother and Max, joining the two in their emotional embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe," Max blubbed as she turned her head to face her blue-haired friend, wrapping one of her arms around her.

"I've already told you, I don't blame you… or Vanessa," Chloe sighed as she fought back her own tears.

Max's ears folded back into her hair as she shook her head. "I mean, last night... if I had done something sooner."

Sensing the guilt, Kate stepped forwards, placing a reassuring hand on the Ahri's shoulder. "Max, it wasn't your fault."

Shaking her head solemnly, Max corrected her. "Yes, it was. I could have prevented it. I could have…"

Before she could launch into a huge monolog of blame, Chloe took her head in her hands, forcing Max to look directly into her eyes. "Max, it wasn't your fault. Besides this way I can keep up with you now."

Not seeming convinced, Max let out a deep sigh. "It just seems that everywhere I go, people get hurt or killed. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

Chloe allowed herself a slight smile as she let Max's face go. "Technically, I got myself hurt. You can't take all the credit."

"I suppose that's partially true," Max muttered, suddenly frowning as she remembered something, a flicker of annoyance washing over.

Kate, sensing this, sneakily backed off and made her way to Rachel's side with Joyce raising an eyebrow. Without warning, Max took a step back from Joyce and flicked her orb. The orb itself turned a solid black as it hit Chloe square in the shoulder, knocking her over and backward a couple of feet.

"OW, Max what the hell?!" Chloe demanded angrily, gritting her teeth and feeling her newly elongated fangs pierce skin.

"Willing to let yourself die… was it really that bad, Chloe? You have your whole life ahead of you. Friends that care about you. A mother that would do anything for you." Max sounded hurt and disappointed, although there was a significant flicker of anger in her voice too.

"Is this true, Chloe? You wanted to die?" Joyce shot Rachel an accusing glare for a moment before turning back to her daughter.

Seeing Joyce scowl, Rachel took a step backwards with Kate, who was still hiding behind her looking nervously at Max. She was pissed, there was no other word for it. Backing off slowly, Chloe's eyes were locked onto the young brunette's. The emerald green around her eyes was much more prominent than it was a few moments ago. She had never seen Max this pissed at her before. Before she realized it, they were outside in the garden.

Max leveled her with a stare, determined to get to the bottom of this, to understand. "Tell me, Chloe, why did you feel that was your only way out?"

"Max, you don't understand." Chloe realized too late that that was the start of the wrong answer as Max's black orb slammed into her shoulder, again knocking her on her ass.

"Max," Joyce pleaded sympathetically.

"I won't break her, Joyce, but I wanna know why," Max said firmly, a mix of anger and sadness on her voice.

"Pfft, as if you could." The words left Chloe's mouth before she could stop them. "Wait, I didn't mean... shit." She just managed to dive out the way as Max's football sized black orb slammed into the ground beside her, sending dirt and grass flying in all directions. As the dust settled, the young vampire's eyes bulged at the three-foot crater left behind. Swallowing hard, she nervously looked back at Max.

Max was stood but a few feet from Chloe, her orb a solid black resting on her tail. "Next time I won't miss. Now tell me why you thought your life wasn't worth living? Did you ever stop to think how I felt? I've been with you and William since FOREVER, and then I have it all ripped away with no explanation. Did you even think how Joyce would feel if you died, or Rachel, or Kate... or me? So why, Chloe?" By this point, Max was beside herself, tears following like waterfalls. She had to choke out the last few words, struggling to make coherent sentences.

Joyce stood in the doorway, awaiting her daughter's answer. She didn't have anything else to add. What else was there to add? In that short outburst, Max had already asked every question she herself could think of.

"I didn't have you." Chloe slumped her shoulders, hanging her head in admission as tears ran down her cheeks. "I didn't have you, ok."

Max stood frozen to the spot, her orb slowly returning to its neutral blue color as she took in her friend's words. Kate was a little taken aback by Chloe's admission. Sure, she knew Chloe cared for Max, but the way she just admitted it put it in a whole new meaning. She was leaving herself very vulnerable right now and it scared her. Max, on the other hand, slowly regained some control over her emotions. Chloe's admission had all but extinguished her anger. That feeling of control gave way to uncertainty and questions, so many questions.

Chloe stood there, just waiting for a reaction. Something… anything to end this unbearable silence. She couldn't take much more. Just what was Max thinking right now. Before, when the were kids, Chloe could read her so easily. Now was different. She had no idea what was going through her friend's mind. Had she gone too far? Said things she wasn't supposed to? She didn't regret it, but…

Just as that doubt was about to swallow her up, Max took a step forward and pulled her into a fierce hug. For some time, the bluenette stood there as she clung on tight. Finally remembering she had arms, she wrapped them around the smaller girl. It felt familiar, safe and… right. Like this was where she belonged. From the way Max was clinging onto her, so tightly like she would never let go, she could only assume she felt the same. That realization brought about a whole new set of tears. Max's hug was nearly crushing, but she didn't care. Anything to validate that this was really real, not just a figment of her imagination. The girl she had been searching for all those years was finally back.

As for Max, she couldn't think of anything other than how much she had needed Chloe. The way she felt now proved that much. Like she was home.

"Don't mean to interrupt, but…" Rachel began, reminding them that other people were here… just in case.

Finally remembering they had company, the two girls broke apart, looking a little awkward. Max cleared her throat, cheeks a light shade of pink. "W-well, um…"

"Shall we head back inside?" Chloe asked hesitantly, saving her friend the trouble of trying to come up with an understandable sentence.

"R-right, yeah. Good plan." Max agreed, stuttering slightly. She ignored the very obvious smirk from Rachel, walking past her as quickly as possible.

Entering the dining room through the sliding doors, Max looked at Joyce guiltily. "Sorry about your lawn."

Joyce cocked her head as she looked at the new hole in her garden, smiling to herself. "I always wanted a pond."

"I can always make it bigger if you like," Max offered half-jokingly.

Joyce allowed herself a smile. "Maybe later. It's a bit late for excavations, I think."

In the living room, the four girls bunched up on the sofa, with Kate taking her usual spot beside Max claiming one of the brunette's tails, running her fingers through the thick black fur. Chloe took the other side of Max with Rachel balancing on the arm, leaning on the young vampire.

"Looks like you've got a cling on there, Max," Chloe poked playfully.

Kate blushed slightly as she shrugged, "Have you felt how soft her fur is?"

"I've felt how hard she hits," Chloe commented rubbing her shoulder.

Max gave a small chuckle. "Sorry, Chloe. Rachel was right, I was going easy on you," she said offering a sympathetic smile.

"Remind me not to piss you off... again," Chloe muttered under her breath.

"Max," Joyce spoke slowly as she took her seat in the armchair, offering the young Ahri a sympathetic smile. "I know this is going to be painful, but..."

Max let out a gentle sigh. She had known this conversation was coming. Didn't make it any easier to talk about, though, but Joyce of all people deserved to know. She was, after all, her mother's best friend. "You want to know what happened to Vanessa and Ryan, right?"

Joyce gave a small nod. Max took another breath and braced herself as she began to tell her side of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max is back :D Human Max, that is.
> 
> Let us know what you think so far. Anyone figured out the stories influence?
> 
> Things get interesting from here on in. Next one's a heartbreaker (Or I'm just a soft sap) Either way, hope you're enjoying it so far.


	12. Very Unhappy Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, here's Chapter 12 - the heart breaker. (Or I'm just a soft sap... I'm probably just a soft sap)
> 
> I would suggest a depressing song if you're brave enough, with tissues at the ready. Read on, see you at the bottom.

  **Very Unhappy Birthday**

**11th March 2008**

**Unknown location, North of Arcadia Bay**

Max jolted awake to the sound of raised voices, banging and breaking glass. Her room in darkness, she glanced over at her digital alarm clock 11:50 pm. She had barely been asleep for two hours. With the continued noise coming from downstairs, the young brunette shuffled herself out from under her duvet and groggily made her way over to her bedroom door to investigate.

"RYAN!" Max heard her mother's screaming plea erupt from downstairs.

Without thinking, she flung open the door and bolted downstairs, along the hallway, entering the dining room. Suddenly, she screeched to a halt, frozen by the horror that lay before her. Her father slumped against the far wall, his eyes cold and glassy as blood poured from his neck, his sword laying at his side, its blade clean and unused.

Rushing to her father's side, Max fell to her knees shaking her father's motionless body. "Papa," she choked, tears already streaming down her face, "papa, please," she pleaded gripping his bloodstained shirt.

Her brain refused to accept what her eyes showed her. A few hours ago, her father had been chatting and laughing away over dinner as he always did. Alive as could be. Now… She swallowed hard, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Maybe this was all a dream. Yes, it had to be. She would wake up any second now and things would be fine. No amount of wishing changed her situation.

Hearing the sound of broken glass underfoot, she looked over to the patio door. What she saw made her blood run cold. A tall, masked figure, dressed in black with deep purple eyes and fresh red blood running from their mouth down their chin. Off to the side, standing in the archway was her mother Vanessa. She was stood shaking, her eyes fixed on Ryan's body as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her fists balled at her sides trembling in anger. What happened next left Max without words.

A low deep growl filled the room as Vanessa spun on her heel. Two jet black tails appeared behind her, a large black orb materializing on one of them. With a flick of her tail, she sent the orb zipping across the dining room almost too fast to see, towards the intruder.

Leaping out of the way, making it look almost too easy, the intruder let out an amused taunting laugh as the black orb smashed through the doorway like a wrecking ball. The impact left a rugged circle framed by bare brick and mortar, the door nothing but white splinters littering the dining room floor like confetti. As the dust cleared the black sphere raced back to Vanessa as though on a spring, coming to rest gracefully on one of her black tails.

Max wiped at the tears in her eyes as though that would somehow change what she was seeing. The young brunette stared wide-eyed, a mix of terror and wonder, at her mother, or rather the person that now stood where her mother was moments ago. She looked exactly the same, say for two black tails and two black pointed ears poking up through her long brown untied hair. Her brown eyes had an almost vibrant emerald green band encircling the irises. A large electric blue orb about the size of a football rested gracefully on one of her tails, her stance guarded.

"Mom," Max whimpered almost in a whisper. Vanessa passed a quick glance at her daughter, instantly returning her gaze to the intruder.

"Max, stay there," Vanessa said slowly, her voice low and full of warning. She was deadly serious about this command. With a quick flick of her tail, she sent her orb hurtling towards the intruder. It turned a solid black, inches from the trespasser as, once again, they effortlessly dived out of the way. As the orb zipped back to Vanessa, she deflected it in Max's direction, smashing through the nearby wall in a cloud of dust and debris. "Outside NOW," Vanessa's commanding shout rang through the air as she dived out of the reach of her attacker, slamming him into dresser against the wall with her orb. The ball of intense energy had, once again, shifted to a solid black, sending pieces of the dresser and broken china in every direction.

The noise of the impact brought Max out of her stunned trance. Not needing to be told twice, she clambered out of the large hole, stumbling over a few of the broken bricks that lay on the grass into the darkness of their backyard. She was quickly followed by Vanessa, her pursuer hot on her heels. Taking up a guarding position in front of her daughter, Vanessa kept her eyes fixed squarely on her attacker. Max's gaze, however, fell on that of her father slumped against the wall motionless, her heart pounding at an impossible rate. He couldn't be gone. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Max's attention was torn from her father as a tight burning sensation began building painfully inside her chest, causing her to double over as it began working its way through her body. The sensation caused her to let out an uncomfortable groan.

"It's ok, Max. Don't fight..." Vanessa's words were cut short as her attacker slammed into her, sending her flying across the garden. Her momentum was only stopped when she slammed into the garden fence with a stunned gasp.

"MOM!" Max shouted in horror. In that moment, she forgot the discomfort she was in as she saw the figure approaching her, arm outstretched. Instinctively, Max backed off searching wildly for an escape route. Stepping backward again, she felt the hard, wooden fence press against her back. Realizing she had nowhere to run, she stood trembling as the masked figure approached her.

Seeing the mask figure's outstretched hand getting closer, Max cowered. Out the corner of her eye, she spotted a purple sphere about the size of a coin zip past her in a blur, striking the intruder's arm just above the elbow. The orb disappeared only to reappear a split second later as it exited the other side, causing the attacker to scream out in pain. Quickly retracting his arm to avoid the orb's return trajectory, he turned to see Vanessa getting to her feet.

"You will NOT touch her!" Vanessa spat with a growl as she limped towards him, already sending the now solid black orb back towards him at an alarming speed.

This time, however, he didn't have time to react. The orb slammed into him with enough force that Max felt the shockwave of the air hitting her. The momentum of the orb carried the attacker backward, the extra mass doing nothing to slow down its velocity, as both were sent through the trunk of a large tree and the garden fence. Both were obliterated in a plume of dust and matchstick sized wood chippings, the tree lazily falling into the gap now in the fence with a loud crash.

Still trembling, Max turned to her mother, who smiled at her weakly as her orb returned to her shifting back to its electric blue state as it came to rest on her tail. Max was about to speak, but instead let out a scream of agony as the burning sensation flared up again. This time it quickly engulfed the young girl's senses, causing her to drop to her knees clutching at her sides as she doubled over. It felt like her blood was boiling, her clothes felt far too tight and restricting so much so that she was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. So overwhelming were the different sensations coursing through her body, she could barely hear her mother's words.

"Max... it's going to be ok," Vanessa words were drowned out as the young girl let out a high-pitched drawn-out scream of agony that slowly turned into loud whimper echoing into the night sky.

Like a switch had been flipped, all the pain and discomfort abruptly disappeared at the sound of tearing fabric. Breathing heavily as she opened her eyes glancing around wildly, looking for the source of the whimper only to be momentarily stunned by her surroundings. They were exactly the same as they were moments ago, but now everything seemed so sharp and clear. Even in the dead of night, it was as though it was early morning. Every blade of grass, tree, and leaf was in high definition. It wasn't just what she could see, but her hearing too. She could hear crickets chirruping several gardens over, two... no three cats, having a tussle some twenty or so feet behind her… as well as her mother's heavy labored breathing.

Turning her head towards her mother, Max noticed how much bigger everything looked. She really had to look up to see her mother's face. Crawling towards her mother, the young girl felt an odd sensation, like things weren't working the same but at the same time, it felt natural. Definitely an odd sensation. Feeling something under her hand, she looked down to see what it was and her eyes went wide in shock.

Where her hand should be was a long fur covered black paw. Max snapped her head around in panic to get a better look at herself. Each of her limbs were covered in thick black fur. Behind her she caught sight of a... no, two black tails. All around her littering the grass was shredded fabric, parts of it she recognized. Those bits of fabric were her pajamas, or what was left of them. What the hell was happening to her?

"Max... Max, it's ok. You're ok," Vanessa's voice came over in a calming tone. Max turned to look at her mother, whose reassuring smile temporarily calmed the young girl's nerves. "Happy fourteenth darling," she cooed.

"What…?" Was what Max was meant to say, but instead it came out as a low confused whimper, shocking the young girl. She couldn't speak. How was this ok? Birthday? It wasn't her birthday for another six months.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an angry roar that erupted from over by the toppled tree. The said tree flew across the lawn, slamming into the side of the house before it fell to the floor. The masked figure walked through the recently made hole in the fence, inspecting the coin-sized hole in his arm before returning his gaze to Vanessa.

"What the hell did you hit me with, YOU BITCH!?" he roared as he launched himself across the garden, eyes burning with murderous intent.

"Max, RUN!" Vanessa yelled as she sent her orb sailing towards their attacker, turning a solid black mid-flight only to have it punched out of the way by the attacker. "GO!" Vanessa commanded as she grabbed something at her neck, throwing it to the ground as her attacker closed in on her.

Max stood frozen as she watched her mother explode out of her clothes. Her pale skin replaced with thick black fur. Her arms and legs took on an animalistic appearance as her face was almost instantly replaced with that of a wolf's head as the attacker collided with her. Both Vanessa and her attacker clawed and bit at each other, the solid black orb repeatedly striking her opponent, who seemed unphased by the impacts.

The night air filled with angry grunts and vicious growls. As the struggle escalated, the intruder getting himself around behind Vanessa, who let out a high pitched yelp accompanied by several ear-splitting cracks as her assailant crushed her in his arms and sunk his fangs into her neck, eliciting a much weaker yelp.

Max watched in horror as the attacker began draining her mother's life in front of her. Vanessa's orb falling to the ground, returning to its electric blue color and slowly fading away. Her eyes pleaded with Max as they slowly glazed over, begging her daughter to run and never look back.

Max couldn't believe what she was seeing. Not only had her father been killed, but she had just watched her mother, a woman she had known all her life, become something else entirely. Then, turn into a large black wolf and being killed right in front of her. Her whole world in the space of a few days had been destroyed, she felt numb, a low whimper escaped her and her body refused to obey as she watched the light fade from her mother eyes.

The attacker stopped for a moment and stared at Max his purple eyes filled with hunger. A shiver of dread ran down her spine bringing her to her senses, taking a step backward and passing a final longing glance at her mother's dead body. Max let out a drawn-out whimper as she turned and bolted through the hole in the fence, running blindly into the night, sobbing internally. After running for what seemed like hours, Max found herself wandering through unfamiliar woods in a daze. Her mind was still racing at everything that just happened. What was she? What was her mother? Why wasn't she told? And… why did that vampire attack and kill her mother and father?

Exhausted, both mentally and physically, Max wandered aimlessly through the dense woods stumbling upon an old hunter's lodge. It looked abandoned, like it hadn't been lived in years with broken windows and missing roof tiles. The front door hung ajar off one of its hinges. Tentatively, Max made her way inside finding the place much like the outside. Like it had been abandoned for years, thick dust and old cobwebs adorned all the remaining furniture. To the left was a simple open plan kitchen. An old wood burning stove sat next to a cracked, broken china sink. To the right, a small broken wooden table with an old radio on the floor that had clearly slid off the table when it gave in to age and rot. A musty old sofa and tattered brown curtains hung at the windows, looking like they were going to fall at the slightest breeze.

Making her way over to the sofa, she climbed up on it and curled herself into a ball in the corner, wrapping her new tails around herself, burying her head under them in an attempt to shut the world out. Allowing her body to relax a little, Max let her mind wander over the events earlier that night. Her mother's dying eyes were the last thing she saw as she slipped into a troubled, restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I shoulda opened the story with this chapter... hindsight is 20/20.
> 
> So, were the feels in the right place? Lemme know, I can't get better without feedback.
> 
> Either way, I hope you're enjoying it.
> 
> Peace out!


	13. I'm a WHAT?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And things continue. The format changes a little here on in. Internal conversations are marked in '-'
> 
> Hope it's clear enough to tell apart. Enjoy.

  **I'm a WHAT?!**

Max woke to an early morning sun filtering through the crack in the curtains. Outside, she could hear a couple of birds chirruping in the nearby trees. It must have been raining during the night as there were wet patches on the old wooden floor and a slow dripping from various places in the roof of the old cabin. The air smelled clean and fresh. A slight hint of pine gently masked the musky smell of the cabin.

Stretching herself out and letting out a big yawn, Max turned her head to look at herself as she lay stretched out on the old sofa. Jet black thick fur covered every inch of what she could see. Her belly fur, not nearly as thick, matched the rest in color but was thin enough to see her pink flesh underneath. Her two tails continued this trend. After a little experimenting, she found controlling them independently was surprisingly easy. She spent a few minutes distracting herself as she got to know her new body a little better. Anything for a distraction from the previous night's events. Quickly getting bored with this, she forced herself off the sofa, intent on looking around the cabin she just spent the night in.

She walked past the kitchen, down a very short hallway that ended with a small broken window. The curtain that once adorned it was laying on the floor below it in a heap. Obviously, the fixings had given way. On either side of the hallway were a pair of old faded pictures. One was a lazy river with a thick wood on one of the banks. The other picture was too faded to see much but it was definitely a field of flowers, she had no idea what kind. Next to each picture was a door. Both looked like they had seen better days, one of them clearly rotten through with a missing panel.

Peering through the panel, Max could see an old bathroom suit. Like the rest of the house, it was thick with dust and cobwebs. Other than that, nothing interesting. The other door looked a little more secure. Trying first to push it open with both her paws, the door only moved slightly. Not nearly enough for her to get through. Taking a step backward, Max launched herself at the door, slamming her shoulder against it. Surprisingly, the paneling in the door gave way, causing the wolf to crash through the door with a wood splitting crack. The sound gave Max a flashback of her mother being crushed by the vampire the night before, causing her to end up in an undignified heap of dust and wood splinters.

Getting to her feet and shaking the image out of her head, Max was surprised to discover her whole body mirrored the shake, creating a plume of dust to be shaken from her fur. Looking back at the door, she gave it a slight scowl. ' _Stupid door_.'

Looking around the new room, she saw it was much the same as the rest of the cabin. Thick dust, and cobwebs. An old iron bed was pushed against the wall with moldy looking bedding covering it. Above it, a sizable hole in the roof. An obvious leaky point. On the left was an old partially collapsed dresser with several small broken perfume bottles scattered on and around it. To the right was a tall looking thin object covered with an old sheet.

' _Looks like one of those full-length mirrors_ ,' Max thought to herself, gripping the sheet with her teeth and gently pulling it off to reveal what she suspected. An old patchy and cracked full-length mirror.

Taking a step towards the mirror, Max finally managed to get a proper look at herself. She was as she suspected jet black from nose to tail, say for light patches of brownish fur on her snout. Two big blue eyes married together with her furry face. Size-wise, she thought she looked about the same as a normal wolf. In fact for a wolf, she thought she looked fairly normal, except for the two tails obviously.

' _What am I?_ ' She thought to herself as she looked in the mirror for some semblance of the girl that should be looking back at her.

' _Well, you're not some common wolf, if that helps_ ,' a female voice said calmly. Max scampered backward, spinning around trying to find out where the voice came from. ' _You're not going crazy. Honest,_ ' the voice came again, trying to offer reassurance

Not finding the source in the room, Max darted out the hole in the door, slipping slightly on the floor as she rounded the corner and bolted across the living room. Bursting out of the hanging front door, she made it to the clearing just outside the cabin, panting.

The female voice started chuckling lightly. ' _You can't run from me, would be a bit difficult considering_.'

' _Who are you? WHERE are you?_ ' Max asked as she twisted around, trying to find out where the voice was coming from.

The voice didn't answer straight away, clearly thinking of the best way to word an explanation. ' _You can call me Akira. Your mother did. As for where I am... that's kinda difficult to explain. An in between, I guess you could say. For simplicity, I'm in your head._ '

' _Great, I've officially lost it_ ,' Max sighed, resigning herself to the deduction.

' _Already told you, not crazy. I'm here to help_ ,' Akira offered calmly, sensing the confused panic rising in the young girl.

' _What are you?_ ' Max pressed, desperate for some answers.

Not sure how to put it in simple terms, Akira decided to save the in-depth explanations for later. Once Max had sorted herself out and was safe, then they could talk details. ' _Again, difficult to explain, but I USED to be what you are._ '

' _And that is!?_ ' Max asked, frustrated at the vague, cryptic response. A lot had happened to her in such a short space of time and she wanted to know why.

' _You're an Ahri,_ ' Akira stated matter-of-factly as if it should just make sense to her. No explanation needed.

' _That explains EVERYTHING... not._ ' Max shot back sarcastically.

' _Ok, then. I suppose wolf demon would be somewhat accurate_ ,' Akira added thoughtfully, hoping that might help her understand. It was more complicated than that but for the time being, this was a decent comparison.

Max frowned at the term, still confused and anxious about her situation. ' _Not filling me with confidence here_.'

' _Relax. You're as much a demon as vampires, werewolves, succubi or anyone else with an ability, like empaths and telepaths_.' Sensing Max deliberating this, Akira carried on. _'In truth, I don't even know exactly. I suppose… Ahri are kinda the best of both of vampires and werewolves. Social, lively, and caring, with one hell of a temper. Although, I'm still trying to figure out if that's an Ahri trait_ , _or just women in general. Maybe it's a bit of both,_ ' she chuckled,' _but unlike both of those, Ahri are only born and mature on their fourteenth birthday.'_

Max was silent for a while as she wandered through the woods. She could sense Akira waiting for her to say something, but she was still trying to sort out her own head before anyone else had a poke. Picking up the faint sound trickling of water, she headed in the general direction through the trees and eventually found a small river. Settling down on the river bank and having a drink, Max caught sight of her reflection in the water.

' _Akira... Was my mom an… Ahri too?_ '

She could feel Akira thinking about this for a moment before answering. ' _Yes. Ahri are female only. Unlike other races, they can't be 'made', only born as I said, and it's hereditary. If you're an Ahri, there's zero chance your mother wasn't one. Unless you're adopted, of course._ '

Max let out a sigh as she slumped herself down on the riverbank, the tips of her paws touching the surface of the lazy river. A stray tear rolled down her furry cheek as she came to terms with everything. Or tried to, at least. ' _Then… why didn't she tell me?_ '

Again, this had the potential to get complicated. Best to stick to straightforward semi-truths for now and deal with the big stuff later. ' _Simple answer, to protect you. She... she wanted so much to show you, teach you._ '

Taking it all in, Max nodded and asked her next question. ' _Did my dad know?_ '

' _Oh, he knew_ ,' Akira confirmed, remembering Vanessa's fond recount of their meeting. ' _He couldn't wait to see you either… as an Ahri, I mean._ '

' _I'm failing to see the appeal right now,_ ' Max sighed, laying there in silence.

Thankfully, Akira had taken the silence as her wanting to be left to her thoughts. She went over the last few days' events, trying to make sense of it. They had barely buried William a few days ago before they uprooted and moved without so much as a word. All the hushed conversations she had walked in on only for them to be silenced or the subject changed abruptly both at Joyce's house and their new home... not that she thought of it as such. Her home was with Chloe. She momentarily thought about going back, but quickly dismissed it. They wouldn't recognize her like this. Then there was whoever killed… just thinking it caused the young wolf to let out a whimper. What if he came after her next?

' _You can't just run from this_ ,' Akira announced, wanting to nip this idea in the bud before Max got carried away. Running never solved anything. She had seen that particular truth manifest itself time and time again.

 _'I don't have a choice. I'm not me, and I won't put Chloe or Joyce in danger let alone anyone else. No one else is dying for me._ ' If it was the last thing she did, Max would make sure that she didn't involve others in her problem, especially people she considered family.

Akira must have realized she wouldn't get anywhere as she dropped the subject, retreating back into silence. Hearing the gentle rustling of leaves nearby, Max pricked her ears towards the sound and looked over to see a small black rabbit scampering about. The sight triggered her stomach to let loose a deep grumble of hunger. She hadn't eaten since the evening before and it was gone midday already. Choosing to ignore her stomach, she returned her head to rest on her paws and stared out over the river.

Sighing at the girl's stubbornness, one that rivaled her mother's, Akira gently pointed out the facts. ' _You have to eat, ya know_.'

' _I'm not hungry_ ,' she lied, fairly unconvincingly too.

Chuckling softly, Akira called her out. ' _Have you forgotten? I'm in your head, I know when you're lying_.'

' _Ok, I am_ ,' Max admitted now that she had been backed into a corner, ' _but I don't feel like eating._ ' Particularly something so cute and innocent. ' _I just wanna be left alone, if you don't mind_.'

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to get any further with Max today, Akira pulled back. There was no point forcing the issue. ' _I understand, Just... It doesn't do well to be alone, Max. That goes double for Ahri. If you wanna talk, I'm here._ '

With that, Max was left alone to her thoughts. A gentle evening breeze blew in, sending a few loose browning leaves fluttering to the surface of the river. She watched as they lazily sailed past. Part of her wished she could join them… just float away from all her troubles. A new set of tears rolled down her furry cheeks as she thought about all she had lost. As the evening light faded Max reluctantly got to her feet, taking one last drink before finding her way back to the abandoned cabin. It didn't prove as difficult as she thought it would, quickly picking up her own scent almost on instinct, getting caught short on her way back. She felt more than a little embarrassed about relieving herself in the middle of the woods, much to Akira's amusement. It was bad enough feeling awkward as she did, she didn't need Akira poking fun.

' _Thanks for making that no more embarrassing than it was_ ,' Max thought sarcastically.

Stifling her laughter, Akira was quick to reassure her. ' _I'm sorry, Max. I wasn't laughing at the situation per se. Just what you were thinking about it._ '

' _NOT HELPING!_ ' Max exclaimed, equal parts frustrated and embarrassed.

' _Ok ok, I'm sorry,_ ' she apologized, not wanting to annoy Max too much and alienate her. They needed to co-operate. ' _Look, you have a human mind in wolf body. Of course some… things are gonna seem weird.'_

 _'That's one word for it,'_ the young teen cut in.

Ignoring the interruption, Akira continued. ' _My point is... think wolf. You need to be able to do both, seeing as you are… well, both.'_

 _'So, I can turn back?_ ' Max asked hopefully.

 _'Yes, but not on your own_ ,' Akira explained briefly. She didn't want to get into too much detail now, but she had to answer some of the young girl's questions at least. Enough to satisfy her curiosity.

_'How?'_

Trying to keep her response as simple as possible, Akira replied, ' _You need a crystal. They're called Auralite crystals. Get one of those around your neck and boom, you're humanoid again_.'

Max pondered over the phrasing, drawing her own conclusions. ' _Humanoid… You mean tails and ears_?'

' _Exactly_.'

' _Mom didn't have those... I would have noticed… ok, she had them last night,_ ' Max corrected, the image still crystal clear in her mind. It had been a surreal discovery for her.

' _Illusion charm_ ,' Akira answered concisely. ' _I can teach you how that works, obviously not till you're human. You'd look silly with no tails and no ears_.'

For a moment, Max tried to imagine a wolf with no ears or tail, gaining a small amount of amusement at the odd image as she walked up to the cabin. Entering through the ajar door, she made her way to the sofa, climbing up and slumping down. It didn't take long for her mind to wander back to the previous night.

' _I miss her too, Max. She was a good friend_ ,' Akira mentioned, sounding genuinely sadden at her mother's death.

' _How long did you know her?_ ' She had to admit, she was curious.

' _I first met your mother shortly after she fell pregnant with you_ ,' Akira divulged, recalling the memory.

Max frowned at this new information, trying to make sense of it. ' _How does that even work?_ '

This wasn't the first time Akira had been asked such a question. She had asked it herself once upon a time. _'I'm not just in your head if that's what you mean. I do talk to the other Ahri... although there's not as many around these days, mature ones anyhow. In the end, you were all she cared about, Max. She so wanted to see you grow up, teach you all she knew.'_

' _I must admit, she looked kinda scary. Beautiful, but scary,'_ Max admitted, feeling conflicted.

' _She was definitely a fighter, although she lost herself a little after you were born,_ ' Akira mentioned sadly.

' _Oh…_ '

' _I don't mean that in a bad way. Her focus shifted to her immediate family. Couldn't blame her really, but I have to wonder what would've happened if.._.' Akira caught herself, refusing to continue that thought aloud.

 _'If_ …?' Max pressed, wanting to know what she was going to say.

Done talking about this, Akira backtracked. ' _It doesn't matter now_.'

' _AKIRA!_ '

' _Leave it, ok_.' She didn't want to think about that now. ' _Look, tomorrow I'll help you with your orb, but you're going to have to eat first_.'

 _'I'm not eating a bunny_ ,' Max protested outright.

' _Well, you have to eat something or no orb training. That's the deal,_ ' Akira stated, not prepared to budge on that stipulation.

Max curled herself into the corner of the sofa, again laying her tails over her face. She couldn't imagine herself eating something so cute, let alone killing it. That didn't do much for her current situation as her stomach let loose another loud grumble. Shoving her stomach's complaints to one side, she closed her eyes and drifted off to another night of troubled sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's some more exposition for you. And we finally meet Akira :D
> 
> Hope you're enjoying it. I wonder what she's gonna eat :P
> 
> Leave a comment lemme know if its easy enough to follow.
> 
> Peace out!


	14. Not the Bunnies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you just turned into a wolf, can't turn back, and you need food...
> 
> Psst, don't tell Kate... enjoy :D

  **Not the Bunnies**

**Two Days Later  
**

Max wandered down to the river to get a drink. She was so thirsty. All this walking and running hadn't helped. The not so subtle reminders from her stomach did nothing to help. While water was easy enough, food was beginning to be all she could think about. The morning sun cut through the canopy of the trees and a flock of birds chirped away as she trudged through the forest. Not only did she feel thirsty and hungry, but tired too. She really hadn't been sleeping well. Could anyone blame her after what she had been through? She could still see the horror show from the other day clearly whenever she closed her eyes. She saw her father's cold, dead eyes and her mother's eyes lose their light right in front of her.

Nearby, she heard the crunching of leaves as a small animal scurried into hiding. For a brief moment, she thought about food and quickly tried to bury it, but it was too late. Her stomach reminded her once again that she hadn't eaten anything in nearly three days. Not that she needed reminding. She already felt weaker, more sluggish. She let out a drawn-out, guilty sigh. If she was gonna do this, it would be on her terms.

' _Akira_.' No answer. She could feel her at the back of her head. She was ignoring her, trying to teach Max a lesson. Pfft, she had nothing on her. Max knew how this dance worked. She had seen it a hundred times with her mother. ' _Akira, I know you're there... if I faint and something happens to me, what would Vanessa think?_ '

' _That's below the belt… definitely your mother's daughter_ ,' Akira replied, half amused and half annoyed at the underhanded tactic.

' _I promise I won't use it too often_.' So long as Akira made her life easy, anyway.

' _So, you've rethought your diet, then?_ ' Akira asked, sounding a little smug. For the past couple of days, she had told Max time and time again that she couldn't survive without hunting. The teen had brushed her off every time. Now, she realized it was necessary.

With a sigh, Max reluctantly nodded. ' _Begrudgingly, yes. I have to eat something and I don't think a few leaves is going to do it._ ' In her current form, she used a hell of a lot more energy than when she looked human. The difference was insane.

' _Well, let's get to it then_ …' When Max didn't move, she figured something was wrong. _'I'm sensing a but_.'

' _There is. No females... And no young ones either. I'm gonna feel bad enough as it is,'_ Max demanded, adamant to stick to these terms, and these ones alone.

Akira seemed to deliberate this for a few moments while Max lapped at the ice cold water, trying not to think about what she was about to do.

' _Ok, I can work with that, well the no girl bit. Age wise, just go for the biggest one you can get_.' Akira almost sounded too eager for this.

After wandering around for nearly an hour, taking in the different scents and with Akira's help learning to tell the difference between the males and females, Max's nerves began waging a war on her hunger. She didn't want to cause any suffering.

Akira noticed her hesitation. ' _Max, what's wrong?_ '

After a few seconds of silence, Max finally replied, _'I… don't want it to suffer_.'

 _'It won't,'_ Akira reassured to calm her worries. ' _Just go for the neck and don't hold back. A firm bite, quick shake, and it's done_.'

Just then, there was a rustling just within earshot, causing Max to prick her ears in the general direction. She felt her stomach rumble and she swallowed hard. Hesitantly, she took a step towards the noise. Giving the air a sniff, she breathed a slight sigh of relief as she picked up a male scent. Seeing a large brown rabbit dart across her path, Max hesitated for a moment before feeling something press her forward. Before she knew it, she had broken into a full out sprint in hot pursuit of the terrified brown rabbit. It tried desperately to evade the hungry wolf but to no avail. Before Max knew it, she was on top of her prey, her jaws around its neck as its body hung limply in her mouth. Upon realizing what she had just done, she dropped the dead rabbit to the floor, backing off a little. As she did, she got a better look at the poor critter. Blood oozing from the bite wounds, patches of fur missing, neck tilted at an awkward angle…

' _What did I…? Akira, you made me do this_ ,' Max accused, confusion and anger fusing together when she made the connection.

' _I did_ ,' Akira admitted guiltily.

This confession sent Max into a whole new level of rage. They were supposed to be working together on this. ' _You can't… WHY?_!'

' _Because I promised your mother I would look after you. I won't make you do anything you really don't want to, but I won't see you starve yourself,_ ' Akira finally responded, flickers of melancholy permeating through her voice. She had already lost Vanessa… and so many others. Max would be different.

' _Akira, I… thank you… But I don't think I can… ya know_ …' Max hesitated, hoping that she would understand.

' _I'll keep my promise, Max, to you and your mother, but you have to keep your strength_.' Using logical reason, hopefully she could convince Max. Provoking her wouldn't help matters.

Max hesitantly took a step towards her kill, swallowing hard as her stomach grumbled loudly. Again, she could feel something pressing her forward. Knowing what, or better who it was this time, she relaxed as best she could, allowing Akira to guide her. She felt her teeth cut through the fur and skin of the dead rabbit, tearing away a slab of streaming flesh. Her first instinct was to wince away, but Akira was there to give her a gentle nudge and she let her wolf side take over. She found that she didn't have to really think about it and shortly after starting, there was little of the rabbit left say for a bit of fur and a few bones.

' _Thanks_ ,' Max thought as she rubbed her snout in a small patch of grass to clean off what blood she couldn't reach with her tongue.

' _You're welcome. Feel better?_ '

Max lay down on the grass stretching out, enjoying a warm full belly. _'I do. I'm just gonna rest for a bit while things settle down_.'

Akira chuckled lightly. ' _Just like your mother. You think you'll be ok doing this now?_ ' Max thought about it for a moment. Providing she didn't think about it, it honestly wasn't so bad, taste-wise at least. Thinking about a fluffy bunny though was still hard for her. She briefly thought about rats but Akira was quick to interject. _'I strongly recommend against that. For one, there's not much meat on them. You'd need half a dozen just to equal a small rabbit. Another reason, they taste AWFUL. Take my word on that._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's hope it wasn't related to Alice.


	15. Fight or Flight - FIGHT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, formats changing a little.
> 
> Dreams are in bold italics. The convo's between Max and Akira are the same using single 'italics'.
> 
> Hope it's all clear. Had some fun with this and the next few chapters. I hope I got Max's insecurities and self-doubt about right. Any confusions, let me know.
> 
> Enjoy

  **Fight or Flight - FIGHT**

  ** _The candlelight in the otherwise dimly lit room illuminated very little. Brown eyes shifted to a deep crimson, the stuff of countless horror films and nightmare. A second of pain as fangs pierced her neck before the venom got to work, gradually numbing her body. She could feel her blood draining, life force ebbing away by the second, slowly. She was dying. Her body struggled to remain active, mind flashing with images from her past. All she could do was watch them flicker like a film before her eyes. Weaker and weaker, colder and colder, breath becoming shallower and vision hazier as she drifted away into an eternal sleep. Lost to the world forever._**

* * *

Max woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, water running down her face and over her fur. The air was thick with a dense drizzle as a lazy breeze swirled the drizzle into messy swirls that caught the afternoon sun, throwing a small rainbow stretching over the gap in the trees' canopy. Stretching out, Max let out a big yawn as she got to her feet. Walking with no real destination, she let her senses wander as she took in all the sights and sounds. Gentle dripping of raindrops off the leaves of trees falling onto the forest floor, accompanied by the soft rustling of leaves, and small scurrying critters.

Wishing she had someone to return to, Max let her mind wander to happier times. Running around Arcadia Bay as pirates with Chloe, Joyce's salmon surprise, Williams bad jokes... she would do anything to hear one of those right now. She'd even settle for her mom scolding her for raiding Joyce and William's wine cabinet. They were all just bittersweet memories. Before she realized it, she was on the edge of a small meadow, crouched down as low as she could, a large stag lazily grazing some fifty feet in front of her.

Coming to her senses, she realized her whole body was tensed, coiled like a spring. How? What was she about to do? Letting out a sigh, she relaxed her body and started to back off.

' _Ya know, you should listen to your body a little more,_ ' Akira advised. Max would need something more substantial than rabbits to snack on.

' _I've already eaten today, besides... it's a little bigger than a rabbit,_ ' Max muttered, nervous about going after something so large. It was a daunting possibility.

Akira needed to get her used to her instincts. Embrace them. If she kept brushing them aside like this, they would get nowhere. ' _You'll be fine. Chances are, it'll try to run anyhow_.' Max was about to say she wasn't hungry until her stomach let loose a small rumble, _'Don't even try to say your not hungry._ '

' _I..._ ' Max paused, before sighing. She could argue with Akira all day long and get nowhere. It was better to just ignore the real reason behind her hesitation. ' _I've already eaten today_.'

Akira saw right through her lie but decided to humor her. If this was going to work, she needed Max to be honest with her by choice. ' _You won't get fat if that's what you're worried about. Trust me on that_.'

' _It's not that…_ ' Max admitted reluctantly.

 _'Then what?_ ' Akira asked curiously.

' _Everywhere I go I just see... potential food, it's driving me a little crazy if I'm honest_ ,' Max hesitantly confessed. It felt strange to admit something like this.

Akira couldn't help but chuckle at that confession. ' _You think you got it bad, how do you think vampires feel?_ '

 _'I'd rather not talk about those…_ ' Max replied bitterly. She couldn't help feeling a small amount of hatred towards them, especially after recent events. Not that they were all the same. Still... it was hard overcoming her newly formed prejudice against vampires when she had seen their scary, destructive side. Her mother's murderer being the prime example.

' _They're not all bad, Max._ ' Wanting to gain some trust, Akira decided to reveal just a little about her past. _'I used to have... someone. A vampire I trusted more than I ever have anyone in my life_.'

' _Oh?_ ' Max replied inquisitively. There was a story here.

Akira sighed, not ready to talk about it more. _'I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind._ ' Swiftly, she returned to her original train of thought regarding vampires more generally. ' _They might have blood banks and donors, but all their friends, coworkers and passer-bys are technically walking happy meals_.'

' _Well, like them I don't have to eat everything in sight_ ,' Max replied, turning to walk away.

Almost amused by Max's attempts to distance herself from vampires and her own animalistic nature, Akira pointed out the obvious. ' _Why do you think you're so tired and hungry all the time?_ '

Max paused to think on this. The only comparison she had was Chloe... where that girl put it all was a mystery. Ryan often joked about her having a black hole in her stomach. The only other thing was what she read about dogs just eating until they made themselves sick.

' _While I can't comment on Chloe's eating habits, your situation is a one-time thing... more or less,_ ' Akira added as an afterthought.

' _More or less, great more half answers. Do you ever give a full answer?_ ' Max asked frustratedly.

They didn't really have time for a full-on biology lesson on Ahri feeding patterns, but Akira realized she had to give Max something. ' _Ok, then. While it's true Ahri_ do _have quite the appetite they do, to begin with at least, need to eat a fair bit more than normal. Simply put, your body is going through a lot of changes, mostly on the inside... I'm afraid a bunny won't do it_.'

Max looked tentatively back at the stag grazing in the meadow, her stomach egging her on. ' _Umm, Akira…_ '

Sensing the young girl's inner dilemma, Akira asked, ' _What's wrong_?'

' _This might be a good time to tell you... I've never actually... been in a fight_ ,' Max admitted hesitantly, sizing up the stag.

 _'I wouldn't worry about it. It wouldn't matter if you had. You're a wolf now, not human._ ' As expected, the ways in which wolves and humans worked was vastly different. Regardless of how skilled an Ahri was in combat in their human form, or anything else for that matter, it meant little to their wolf side.

Max didn't seem as convinced in her newfound abilities. ' _But still_ …'

' _Max, look, you're much faster and stronger than you were before... not nearly as much as you will be but enough for this_ ,' Akira reassured, itching to surge towards the stag but holding off until she had resolved Max's hesitance.

Swallowing hard, Max turned around facing towards the stag, slowly inching forwards. She lowered herself to the ground as low as she could get so to hide in the long grass.

Feeling the apprehension emanating from the young Ahri, Akira decided to check on her. ' _Are you going to be ok doing this?_ '

With a deep sigh, Max voiced her concerns. ' _I'm gonna need to learn... I'm more nervous about fighting it than actually... ya know._ '

' _Trust in yourself, Max. And trust in your instincts. They won't let you down_.' Nine times out of ten, decisions made based on instinct were the right ones. Admittedly not always, but most of the time.

' _Is that what you told my mom_?' Max snapped a little harsher than she meant. ' _Sorry, you didn't deserve that_ …'

' _Max..._ ' Now was not the time to deal with this. Sighing, Akira simply replied, '... _can we talk about this later, after you've eaten_?'

Not wanting to agitate things further, Max turned her attention back to the stag that appeared to be on its guard. A gentle gust of wind blew across the meadow, bending the grass over in waves. The stag jerked its head around searching for something as Max caught wind of a new scent. Her muscles tensed as her hackles raised along her back. She had to stifle a low growl building in her chest.

' _Max... be careful_ ,' Akira warned, feeling uneasy. Max gave a subtle nod as she etched herself forwards slowly. ' _You should be good here_.'

Max eyed the gap between her and the stag, some twenty feet, feeling a little uneasy. She coiled her body as another gentle gust blew across the meadow, carrying the same scent as before. This time, Max got a better lungful. It smelled... appealing. Her stomach grumbled in agreement.

 _'Max,_ ' Akira cautioned. This had the potential to go badly.

Max felt Akira trying to press into her. To say it felt unpleasant was an understatement. She swallowed nervously, determined to prove to both Akira and herself that she could do this. ' _Akira, let… let me try. I have to learn_.'

Akira debated this for a second, weighing up the pros and cons. That new scent worried her a little. Max wasn't at her full strength yet. The buck on its own might prove a slight challenge for her, but something else was hunting too, and it was close. Something large and dangerous.

Before Akira had a chance to answer she felt Max push her back as she lunged forwards, missing the buck entirely and instead slamming her shoulder into another creature as it too made a lunge for the buck. Both Max and her new target landed in a heap, quickly scrambling to their feet sizing each other up.

Max heard the startled buck behind her galloping away as she eyed up the new threat. In front of her was an all beige mountain lion, equal to herself in size, crouched down ready to strike, a deep low scream erupting from it. Max's mind went blank for an instant as she registered the beast.

' _Max… back off SLOWLY_ ,' Akira instructed, feeling the debilitating fear overwhelm the young girl. This wasn't good.

Max didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the cougar's. In a flash, the cougar lashed out at her with one of its paws. Max tried to turn her head out of the way but the cat's claws caught the side of her face, leaving a deep scratch behind and causing her to let out a sharp yelp.

' _MAX!_ ' Akira's sentence was drowned out as a deep snarl erupted from deep within Max's chest.

She turned her head back towards the large cat, her jaw slightly open, teeth bared. Max's entire body coiled and released in an instant as she lunged at the cat. They bit and scratched at each other, each blow adding another seeping wound to both parties. While Max's claws weren't as sharp as the cougar's, her thick fur offered a small amount of protection. As the tussle continued, Max found herself under the large cat, its teeth snapping angrily at her belly as she used her paws to keep it at bay. Akira was about to step in when Max got her hind legs firmly under the cat, flinging it in the air, before it flailed back to the ground. She was back on her feet and lunged for its neck, locking her jaws around its throat as the pair piled into the ground.

Panting heavily, she released the downed cat, taking a step back looking as it struggled to breathe. Unable to move, all it could do was let out a low drawn-out scream. Taking a step back towards the cat Max put her jaws around its neck, giving it a final firm bite and shake as the cat let out its final breath.

Collapsing next to her new kill panting, Max inspected the damage. The scratch on her face was fairly deep, she could feel the blood oozing out of the wounds. Her front shoulder hurt where the cougar had gone for her neck but missed, and she had various scratches over her back and belly which she instinctively began cleaning.

Giving her a moment to get herself cleaned up, Akira spoke. ' _That was... unexpected_.'

' _Was that a compliment?_ ' Max asked, panting from the exertion. Her entire body shook, her mind whirring.

' _No... you could have been seriously hurt, Max_.' She had to admit, she didn't even know where the cougar was, but Max did and she intercepted it. Not only that, but she didn't back down like she thought she would have, like Akira herself was going to get her to do.

' _Hey, you wanted me to eat something bigger... I'm guessing this will suffice_ ,' Max mentioned, still hocked up on adrenaline and, although she didn't want to admit it, a small amount of pride in being able to hold her own.

' _Fair point well made... sorry, I just... I didn't think a mountain lion would be your first big kill. What's next, a grizzly bear_?' Akira added, slightly amused. Max has lived to fight another day. That was how it worked.

Max scoffed. ' _Even if I did win, not sure I'd be able to eat it all_.'

 _'I wouldn't worry, nothing goes to waste in the wild_ ,' Akira replied, drawing Max's attention to a pack of wild dogs at the edge of the woods looking in their direction.

Max let out another deep growl causing the opportunistic dogs to duck back into the woods to wait there turn. Akira let out a chuckle. ' _What's so funny?_ '

' _You_.' Akira replied simply, going into more detail when she felt the confusion coming from her vessel. ' _They wouldn't come anywhere near here until you leave anyways... feeling protective, are we?_ '

Getting to her feet, Max sunk her teeth into the hot body of the dead cat, ripping a large portion of streaming flesh out before laying back down. Using her paws, she held it in place as she began taking large bites.

' _Hey, I earned this one, I got the wounds to prove it_ ,' she mentioned through bites.

' _I guess you're not feeling as guilty then_.'

She paused in her eating for a moment, debating this before continuing. ' _Not as much. The buck gets to buck again._ '

' _That's was terrible_ ,' Akira groaned.

' _You can blame William for that_ ,' Max added sadly before going back to her meal.

From what she had seen of William through Vanessa, that sounded about right. ' _That does sound like something he would say. In fact, I swear I've heard him say the exact same thing_.'

' _Wouldn't surprise me_ ,' Max replied with a fond sigh as she got up and tore another piece of muscle from the cat. As she ate, a question popped into her head. One she couldn't wait to ask. ' _Akira... why did that vampire… go after my mom_?'

The danger had passed, for now, so there was no reason not to talk about it. Reluctantly, Akira sighed. ' _Honestly... no idea. It's been going on for years. Before you were born_ , _before I even met your mother. I still don't know why and to be honest... it's frustrating.'_

' _Oh_ …' Max was kind of hoping to at least know why her mother was killed.

Akira recalled the harrowing night, the image of the mystery vampire who had attacked Vanessa and her family sticking in her mind. ' _The night your mother died... it was the first time I'd seen who was doing it. We knew it was vampires, just assumed it was several.'_

' _Looks like they only need one._ ' The fact that a vampire could overpower both her father and mother so easily was worrying. What chance did she stand? Fending off a mountain lion was one thing, a vampire… that was something totally different.

' _Exception to the rule, Max. Ahri_ are _just as fast, even in their human form. Where we really shine though is as you are now... once you have your orb and know how to use it of course_ ,' Akira explained, trying to ease her worries as best she could.

' _So, we're stronger than vampires_ ,' Max concluded.

' _Faster definitely. Physically, vampires and werewolves have the advantage_ ,' Akira added thoughtfully, ' _doesn't mean you don't have to be careful if you're fighting them, though. They're still dangerous. If you're ever outnumbered, go wolf. That way you can run if things go bad._

' _Already wolf_ ,' Max interjected as she chewed down another mouthful of flesh.

' _One thing at a time, we'll get you human again. Might take a while, though, I spent nearly two years as a wolf once... I forgot what I looked like_.' She had spent a good five minutes or so looking in a mirror, poking at her face when she finally changed back. Not one of her finer moments.

' _Did my mom ever hunt like this?_ ' Max asked curiously, wanting to know as much about her recently deceased mother as possible. It might hurt, but she needed to know.

' _Once or twice, though she had it easier, I must admit._ '

_'Oh?'_

_'She had her orb,_ ' Akira divulged.

Max shook her head, smiling. ' _That is so cheating._ '

' _I suppose...'_ Pushing the complicated thoughts about Vanessa aside, Akira sighed. ' _She would have been proud of you, ya know. Mountain lion isn't what most new Ahri go for on their first big kill, not in your condition anyway_.'

' _Thanks._..' Max frowned, confused by the phrase. ' _Wait, my condition_?'

If Akira could, she would roll her eyes at the forgetfulness. ' _Did you forget already? You're not at full strength, and you don't have your orb yet._

' _Working on the eating thing, honest_.' As she dragged the cat carcass to flip it over after stripping the other side.

Akira chuckled. ' _So I see, thought you said you weren't hungry_.'

 _'Hey, you told me to listen to my stomach. It says I'm hungry. There's food, so I'm feeding it._ ' Akira and Max both chuckled lightly, slowly settling into a comfortable silence as Max worked on eating her fill.

A short while later just as the rain had stopped, Max stretched herself out, trying to alleviate some of the pressure off her now very full belly as she looked over what was left of the large cat. To her surprise, she had eaten most of it. Even more surprising was that she had actually enjoyed it. It tasted much better than the rabbit earlier. After cleaning her muzzle in the wet grass, she set off back to her... home, maybe den was a better term, passing a glance at the pack of wild dogs that were waiting patiently for her leave.

' _Sorry doggies. There's not a lot left, but I guess I was hungry_ ,' she thought as she made her way back into the woods hampered not only by her bloated belly but her shoulder too. It was late evening by the time she got back to the cabin, and Akira had been abnormally quiet. The silence was disconcerting.

' _Hey, Akira._ ' No reply. She couldn't even sense her in her head. She didn't even say she was going. ' _Thought she was supposed to teach me this orb trick. I did my part. I couldn't eat another thing_.' That much was certainly true. On the way back while she heard several rabbits scampering around, she found her stomach for the first time in three days just wasn't interested, much to her relief.

Entering the cabin, she made her way over to the sofa, heaved herself onto it and stretched herself out. She could feel her belly bubbling as it slowly digested the rich meat within. She wasn't really annoyed at Akira if she was honest, just tired, sore and very full. She would be mad at Akira tomorrow. For now, she just let herself drift off sleep, full and satisfied for the first time in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nom, Nom. Well, there's some action, and Max is growing up :D
> 
> Lemme know your thoughts.
> 
> Peace out!


	16. Courtship

**Courtship**

Max awoke the next day feeling well rested, having no idea what the time was. Only thing she knew was it was time for a drink. Her meal of rich meat from the previous day seemed to have worked wonders. Climbing off the sofa, the first thing she noticed was her shoulder was only sore now. Craning her neck to inspect it, she saw the wounds had almost completely closed up now, and after a few experimental licks over where her previous meal had scratched her, she found that too felt much the same.

' _Huh, guess I got faster healing._ ' She shrugged, thinking those wounds should have still been very raw. They would've if she were normal. She scoffed lightly at the word 'normal' as she made her way outside, what was normal about any of this.

The midday sun was high in the sky as she made her way into the clearing. A warm breeze blew gently through the trees as she gave herself a stretch. Physically, she felt better than she had since this whole thing started. In fact, better than ok, she felt incredible. Setting off for the river, it wasn't long before she found herself breaking out into a full-on run. Trees, bushes, flowers and even the odd squirrel blurred past her as her legs propelled her through the forest at a dizzying speed. Even with how fast her eyes were now, she found it difficult to keep track of everything, instead focusing on just where she was going. Last thing she wanted was crashing into something. Akira would have a field day with that.

Getting to the river in record time, she laid herself down on the dirt bank and lazily began to drink as she listened to the marinade of birds calling each other and happily singing away. Trying to use the reflection in the water to see if the side of her face had indeed healed, she caught sight of a small blue round object behind her reflection. Spinning around to look behind her a little too quickly, she caught sight of a football-sized pulsing blue ball sticking to one of her tails. A little startled at its sudden appearance, she tried backing off from it only to slip off the bank into the river. ' _Shit that's cold_ ', she thought as she waded back to the bank to climb out. After slipping on the bank a few times, she finally managed it.

Giving herself a shake to get most of the water out of her fur, she found herself a small clearing and sat herself down to finish drying out in the sun while inspecting the blue orb that seemed to effortlessly stick to one of her tails. Looking at it, it kind of reminded her of one of those plasma orbs, except instead of different shades of purple and pink, this was a gentle pulsing electric blue color, completely weightless. She couldn't even feel it, but somehow she knew it was there even when not looking at it, just like a limb. Pawing at it, she found her paw just went straight through it, sending small goosebumps up her paw. Remembering how her mom was able to throw her orb around, she gave her tail an experimental flick. To her disappointment, it only traveled a few inches away before zipping back to its resting spot on her tail. Trying again with a little more force, it went a little further, but not by much. Her mom made it look so easy.

After playing around for what she assumed a few hours, she had managed to sling the blue orb a good ten or so feet. It was definitely related to how much force she put behind it but appeared to be affected by something else too, what she wasn't sure. She'd have to ask Akira. Speaking of, she hadn't heard from her passenger all day. While it was nice to have a little peace, it was a little concerning to the young Ahri. She had also discovered how to switch the tail it was on, a gentle flick and simply thinking what tail she wanted it on and it obeyed. She wondered if it would work the same as a human with her hands. Another thing to ask Akira. She was so getting an earful when she got back.

Wandering around the woods, Max pondered when she would need to eat again. She didn't feel hungry per se. Well, her stomach wasn't complaining at every sound she identified as potential food anyways, but she wouldn't turn down a meal if it fell in her lap. Momentarily, she had a mental image of a rabbit walking up to her and putting itself on a plate. Shaking her head to get the ridiculous image out of her head, she chuckled to herself. ' _Only in cartoons, and then it's usually a trap_.'

She finally entered a clearing surrounded by trees and bushes. It seemed like as good a place as any to find a quick snack. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement. Tensing up, she sharply turned towards the rustling. Nothing… maybe just some animal shuffling around in the undergrowth. Then again, it was best to be safe. Not all animals were cute and cuddly as she had seen recently. That and she had a bad feeling about this. Preparing herself for another mountain lion she narrowed her eyes, bared her teeth and growled threateningly as she approached the spot. If it was something harmless, it would probably run off. Since she wasn't too hungry at the minute, she could afford to skip a small meal. If it was something larger, she could give chase now she had energy. She was much faster now. If it was something dangerous… well, she hoped that wasn't the case.

Slowly edging towards the zigzag line of thick-trunked trees, her ears pricked up and alert, she finally reached the area. Circling the small patch of trees, she found the coast clear. Still, the feeling of unease didn't leave. When she felt something jump up onto her back and a jaw lock onto the scruff of her neck, she realized her suspicions had been correct. Slamming her back into the nearest tree, she heard a pained yelp as whatever had been holding onto her fur released. Quickly swiveling around and backing away, she growled lowly when she saw the crumpled heap on the ground. After a few seconds the creature rose, rugged gray fur, its stance crouched ready to pounce, teeth bared and a low growl. A wolf.

Feeling her hackles rise along her back, she lowered herself ready to pounce. She wasn't about to back down. If she could take a mountain lion, a wolf shouldn't be an issue. In an instant, the wolf lunged at her and Max met it head on colliding mid-air, both snapping and snarling at each other. Several times the wolf tried going for Max's neck, only to find her shoulder instead as she shifted at the last second.

After several tussles, and more than one failed attempt by the young Ahri at pinning her opponent, Max found herself pinned by the wolf instead, his jaws locked tight on her scruff, his full body weight on top of her.

' _Should I leave you two alone?_ ' Akira asked, entertained by the sight she had come back to.

' _Where the hell…?'_ Max began, realizing that it didn't matter where her unreliable passenger had been right now. Priorities. ' _Nevermind… A little help?_ '

' _Not sure I should if I'm honest, I mean...'_ Akira let the sentence hang unfinished, trying her best to stifle the amusement.

' _Thought you were supposed to be helping,_ ' Max grunted as she threw the wolf off her only for it dive at her, knocking her down and grabbing her scruff again.

 _'If you were in danger I would_ ,' Akira observed. She had seen this kind of scuffle countless times so, unlike Max, she knew what was happening here. Nothing for her to worry about at all.

' _It's attacking me_ ," Max stated incredulously, trying to get a good grip with her feet to push him off again.

Akira chuckled at her jumped conclusion. Max had much to learn about her wolf side. ' _No HE is not. He hasn't actually hurt you yet, has he?_ '

Max thought about this for a moment and realized for all the teeth and snarling, there really wasn't any pain. ' _Then, what's his problem?_ '

For a moment, Akira gathered her thoughts as she tried to think of the best way to put this, settling on, ' _Can't really blame him, I guess. Young werewolves are all hormones and instinct_.'

' _Wait, what?_ ' Max asked confused, and by now getting seriously irritated with the young wolf, let loose a deep growl as tried again to snap at him, missing again.

' _Well, let's just say, he's trying to… subdue you, I guess…_ ' Her sentence was interrupted by Max's confusion.

' _What do you mean subdue…_?' Max's eyes went wide with realization as her brain raced to a conclusion the young Ahri really wasn't prepared for. ' _He's trying to MATE with me… Oh, hell no_!'

Before Akira could either confirm or deny this, Max frowned and a low, threatening growl erupted from her throat. This new found realization sent a rush of mixed emotions through her body. Anger for him trying, confusion, she clearly wasn't a normal wolf, or werewolf, HELLO TWO TAILS BLUE BALL OF... STUFF, and fear, she was SO not ready for… that. She was only thirteen, or was it fourteen. It didn't matter, either way, she was too young for crying out loud.

This in itself gave her cause to start the fight anew, letting out a much deeper growl as she once again attempted to get her head around to bite... anything she could reach, barely missing the werewolf's front leg. ' _Gha, I just wanna punch him_.'

In that instant, there was a sharp yelp followed by the sound of something hitting a nearby tree, causing the branches to sway, as she felt the weight of the wolf on her suddenly removed. Looking over to the sound of the impact, she was surprised at what she saw. The first was the wolf crumpled against the foot of the tree, the second was her orb zipping back to her, turning from a solid black back to its static blue color as it came to rest on one of her tails.

Ignoring the orb for the moment, she advanced on the downed wolf her teeth bared and a low growl coming from her chest, intent on giving the werewolf a solid and affirmative 'NO' only to feel Akira stopping her.

' _Akira… what the hell'?_ ' Max asked incredulously, feeling instantly betrayed.

' _You've won, Max,'_ Akira commented, still chuckling as the werewolf scrambled to its feet and bolted away through the trees, whimpering.

' _He was trying too... I'm only fourteen_ ,' Max trailed, she couldn't believe it. She had barely stepped foot outside and was already getting attacked like this. Not only that, but she WASN'T a wolf. She was HUMAN.

' _He wasn't, Max... well, maybe later he might have, and numerically yes, you're fourteen, but biologically, as far as nature in concerned_ …' Akira stopped, realizing that the point was irrelevant for what she was trying to explain, ' _but that wasn't what he was trying to do._ '

' _Then what_?' Max's frustration was only rising with each exasperating cryptic response. She wanted clean cut answers, not riddles.

' _Well… he was TRYING, to get you to submit to him_.' Akira began carefully, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.

' _That sounds a lot like..._ ' she stopped herself again, still unable to bring herself to actually think it. She felt gross even considering the possibility, age aside.

Slightly annoyed at the constant interruptions, Akira stated simply, ' _He wanted you to submit to him being Alpha. He wanted to make a pack with you.'_

' _Wait… he wanted to be MY ALPHA?'_ She only knew a little about wolves and that was because Chloe had a fascination with them in her youth. Anything dangerous, she was in. That thought was bittersweet now.

' _That's what it looked like_ ,' Akira confirmed before continuing. ' _Wouldn't have lasted long anyway, not now you figured your orb out._ '

' _No thanks to you_ ,' Max muttered bitterly.

' _Hey, I helped_.' Akira pointed out, feeling a little offended at the insinuation.

Still angry at the whole situation, Max took out her frustrations on Akira. ' _Oh really, you disappeared yesterday evening, were nowhere to be seen this morning when it appeared, arrive AFTER I get into a… courtship with a WEREWOLF, and just laughed while I'm panicking. Remind me how you helped_.'

 _'I told you that you had to eat properly and you were still growing and changing. Your orb takes a lot of energy to kickstart, nothing to do but eat and wait. As for your.._.' stifling a laugh, she pressed ahead. '…" _courtship", I figure once you realized what he was trying, you'd find a way out… I woulda stepped in if you REALLY needed the help.'_

' _You lied to me?_ ' Max asked, feeling hurt by the lack of support and lies. There were very few people she could trust now, and most of them she couldn't even talk to now. Not that she had really trusted Akira in the first place, but it still made her feel disappointed. Was everything else her companion had told her a lie too?

' _No, I said I would help you with your orb,'_ Akira corrected swiftly. ' _Yes, I left out the bit about you needing to eat a lot to get it, I just wanted you to get comfortable… well, killing and eating something_.'

Max didn't know what to say to that. She was grateful for Akira's help in that regard, she'd have probably starved herself near death before taking the plunge herself. Sitting down and failing an attempt at a sulk her orb caught her eye resting on her tail. Giving her tail a flick she sent the orb a few feet away, feeling disappointed when it failed to turn black like before.

' _Um, Max_ …'

 _'I did it on my own before, I can do it again_ ,' Max snapped, trying to maintain her annoyance. After several more failed attempts she slumped herself down on the dirt in a huff scowling at the blue orb on her tail.

' _If I may._ ' When Max didn't respond, Akira carried on. ' _What were you thinking when you did it before?_ '

Max sighed, thinking it over. _'I dunno, lots of things, namely I wasn't ready to be… ya know._ '

Chuckling again, Akira encouraged her. ' _Try to think, state change is a thought_ , _or more of a visualization I guess_.'

 _'I wanted him off me, I thought… I wanted to... Oooh._ '

Without finishing her sentence Max got to her feet. Eyeing up a nearby tree, she gave her tail a flick in its direction and imagined herself punching it. To her surprise, the orb shifted to black just before hitting the tree with a light thud before zipping back to her tail, returning to its blue state.

' _There you go,_ ' Akira added smugly.

' _Huh, kinda counter intuitive. I imagined punching it, only I don't have hands._ ' She glanced down at her furry paws, still not used to recognizing them as her own.

' _Not when you think about it. Most Ahri learn it while human, but that's generally how it works. There are other states but that's the easiest and probably the most effective one_ ,' Akira explained as simply as possible.

' _Mom made a purple one_ ,' Max sighed, recalling the brief glimpse of the coin-sized orb.

For a moment, her mother's final moments worked their way into her head, the pain she had buried threatening to surface. Shaking the images from her head, her whole body shook in response and she accidentally sent her orb zipping across the clearing. It turned a solid black, taking out a chunk of a large tree trunk before whizzing back to her, once again settling on one of her tails and turning back to its blue color.

' _Void_ _Orb_ ,' Akira stated, ignoring Max's unprovoked attack on the tree. ' _Takes a lot of concentration and energy. That was the first one your mom ever made, and she had been trying for years... took me a very long time to learn it, too_.'

 _'It looked like it hurt_ ,' Max muttered to herself, recalling the vampire's reaction. He had not been happy and that was a gross understatement.

' _Void orbs, in the simple term, erase whatever they touch. The damage can't be healed. That mark will be with him forever... unless he loses the arm, which wouldn't be a bad thing_ ,' Akira added as an afterthought, feeling as much hatred for the vampire as Max.

 _'Definitely not something to practice around anything valuable then_ ,' Max managed semi-humorously despite the mounting feelings of anger and sadness.

' _Or people you care about._ ' Akira added solemnly. ' _Just one stray orb and… yeah, that vampire got lucky_.'

Max slumped herself back down on the dirt, resting her head on her paws. As much as she tried to bury her grief, every little thing made her think of her mom, her family, friends… Chloe. ' _I'm never going to have a normal life, am I_?'

' _Define normal?'_

With a resigned sigh, Max expanded on that question. ' _Going to school, making friends… a family_.'

Unable to help herself, Akira made light of the situation. ' _You could always chase down that werewolf. He can't be far_.'

' _Not sure why I expected a straight answer_ …' While she hadn't been expecting, it would have been nice.

' _Sorry, Max, it is a little funny, though_.'

' _Is NOT_!' The rage in that thought was so strong Max actually growled aloud.

' _Ok, maybe in a day or two. To answer your question, no, at least not until HE is dealt with_.' Seeing a small opening Akira tried to push her opinion. ' _Running away isn't going to solve this, Max_.'

Max shook her head, whimpering softly at her lack of options. _'I can't go back to Arcadia if that's what you mean. For one they wouldn't recognize me, and secondly what if he comes after me? I'd be putting them all in danger._ '

' _Max, Joyce KNOWS you're an Ahri. She would put two and two together... As for the other thing_ …' Akira hesitated for a moment, this would be treading on very fresh wounds. ' _Your mom tried running, and while she wasn't exactly alone, her decision is what landed us here.'_

' _DON'T YOU DARE!'_ Max growled threateningly. She did NOT want to hear this.

Quickly rethinking her phrasing, Akira backtracked a little. _'I'm saying it how it is. You think this is easy for me?'_

 _'She wasn't your MOM! You AREN'T an orphan at the age of fourteen! You… you…_ ' Max's angry words fizzled away into silence, a wracking sob taking over. She couldn't keep the tears back anymore, feeling them roll down her furry cheeks. Curling herself up, she hugged herself and cried more than she ever had in her life. She hated this. _'I just… want to go home. I want my family._ '

It was easy to forget that Max was so young and inexperienced, her world suddenly tipped upside down, everything she knew obliterated. _'I'm… sorry, Max. I really am. While Vanessa might not have been my mom, she was a dear friend. More than that, I was with her till the very end, felt everything she felt, heard her every thought. All she was thinking of was you, scared and guilty for leaving you alone. She loved you so much_.' Akira's attempt to comfort Max seemed to help a little.

Letting out a shaky breath, Max swiped at her eyes. Right now, she wanted to be home with her parents, Joyce, William and Chloe. Like the good old days. She knew that was impossible. Her parents were dead, William was dead and Joyce and Chloe were out of her reach. She just felt empty now, alone. Would she ever be able to live like this? Adapt and survive?

' _You will, Max. You will_.' Those confident words from Akira gave her some small amount of comfort.


	17. Three Months Later

  **Three Months Later**

The high midday sun cast its rays down on the quiet meadow, a lazy wind blowing over the long grass causing it to sway like green ripples. Max was busy cleaning her muzzle in the dry grass after eating her fill of her latest kill, a small buck. Near the tree line not far away, Max's new estranged friends, a pack of wild dogs, waited patiently for her leave. It hadn't taken them long to realize the benefit of hanging around to wait for her scraps. Why waste the time and energy when they could just mooch off her? So long as they didn't jump the gun, she didn't really care.

Lazily, Max gave herself a stretch, releasing a satisfied groan as she got to her feet. Giving the wild dogs a small bow, to which they simply cocked their heads to one side, she moved off heading back into the forest she had come to call home. She had no idea if the dogs understood her gesture, but it was something she had been doing since after her run in with her first mountain lion. The way she saw it, it was just polite. They were patient enough to wait for her to finish, so she would let them know she was done.

Akira, of course, found some amusement in this. ' _Ya know they don't understand, right?'_

Max shrugged, already knowing the redundancy of her display. ' _Probably not... but in a weird way, they're… nevermind, it's stupid_.'

' _They're what?_ ' Akira prompted, keen to find out exactly what the young Ahri was about to say.

' _You'll just laugh, as you always do_.' That much had been true so far. Akira was hardly forgiving. Had it been the same with her mom or was this mockery just reserved for her?

' _I promise I won't laugh…_ ' she stopped for just a second, backtracking, '.. _.unless it's REALLY stupid, then I can't keep that promise._ '

Max let out a sigh, glancing back to the pack of dogs as they busily nosedived into their meal for the day. _'I suppose they're kinda the only friends I have, even if I can't speak to them._ ' She had tried making a few noises at them, not really knowing what she was saying. They didn't seem to know either. If she was going to live as a wolf for now, it would've been nice to know how to communicate.

 _'I get that, but then what am I? Chopped liver?_ ' Akira asked, curious to see how the young girl would reply.

Max shrugged, thinking it over. ' _Well, you and they have something in common then_.'

 _'Not sure I like where this is going…_ '

Reaching the treeline, Max found herself a small space to sit as she watched the dogs bicker amongst themselves over what was left, shaking her head slightly. Not like there wasn't enough for them all, she really hadn't eaten much of it.

' _Well, I can't talk to them, and you won't talk to me, not stuff friends talk about anyways_ ,' Max mentioned softly, hesitant.

Realizing that it would do no good to shut her down, Akira pressed, ' _What would you like to know?_ '

That wasn't the response Max had expected. Usually, her passenger just gave riddles or what she hoped was at least half truths, and it took her a few moments to get the barrage of questions in her head in order.

 _'I dunno, normal stuff. How old you are, where you're from, hobbies and interests, ya know, normal stuff_.' Max listed off quickly, trying to get all the questions out of her head.

Considering the questions for a moment, Akira decided to answer at least some of them. ' _Hmm, ok then. Well, I guess the first thing you should know, although you've probably guessed, I'm very much dead, or at least… partially. Point is, I died, long before you were born_.' Max didn't know what to say to that, she had suspected as much. It was why she avoided that line of questioning. Taking Max's silence as a sign to carry on, Akira proceeded. ' _Therefore, I guess there are two answers to your questions. Age… in this existence if you can call it that, thirty-ish give or take before I died. Let's just say when you get to a certain age, you stop counting_.'

Unsatisfied with the answer, Max sighed deeply. ' _Why am I not surprised_?'

 _'I don't follow_.'

' _Half answers AGAIN,_ ' Max replied frustrated, shaking her head. ' _You're supposed to be my friend, yet you can't even gimme a straight answer about something as basic as your age. Just… forget it_.'

Akira let out a sigh. It wasn't that her age was a secret or anything, she really had just stopped counting. ' _Two… thousand and summin', I think._ '

This answer caused the young Ahri to choke slightly, not really sure if she heard right. ' _Two THOUSAND years!_ '

' _Closer to three_ ,' Akira added as an afterthought. ' _As I said, you stop counting after a while.'_

' _Holy shit!_ ' Max gasped. Did Ahri really live that long? A year seemed like an eternity sometimes… but she really would have eternity, assuming she could avoid HIM.

 _'I was definitely the oldest in America, dunno about Europe or the rest of the world. Most die due to normal stuff, illness, accident, stuff like that,_ ' Akira explains, trying to recall all the Ahri she knew of in her lifetime.'

' _Wowzers. You couldn't have been alone all that time, surely_.'

Not wanting to lie, Akira gave up a little personal information. _'I wasn't, no. I had a… mate. Like wolves, once Ahri find a mate, their bond is incredibly strong. Nothing can break it, not even death, which unfortunately is a distinct possibility given the long lifespan. Once an Ahri has found someone to share such a bond with, they very rarely manage to overcome it and find another mate. Even then, it'll probably be more of a physical than an emotional connection the second time around. Nowhere near as strong. Depends on the Ahri really. Most never get over that initial loss, though. Kinda sad if you think about it_.'

' _What were they like_?' Max asked, curious to find out more. ' _Your mate, I mean_.'

' _That's one hell of a question. Well, my mate was… an interesting one to say the least. He was a werewolf, a little like your admirer, I suppose,'_ Akira added, the smirk clear in her voice.

She could feel the disapproval radiating from Max's very core. _'Ugh, I wish you would stop bringing that up_ …'

 _'I'll stop when it stops being fun to tease you about it. Anyway, where was I…_ ' Akira paused, thinking seriously about the question. ' _He wasn't your typical werewolf. Kind of shy and reserved. I met him while in my wolf form. He didn't go on the offensive when he saw me, none of that Alpha male crap. A nice change actually. You're not the only one who's had to fend off hormone fuelled wolves. Instead, he just kept his distance observing me. After a while, I got curious and investigated. One thing led to another and we started hunting together in the nearby woods whenever we could. Things just… progressed from there, I guess.'_

Since Akira was alone and extremely old now, it was safe to assume that her mate was no longer around. Max still wanted to know more, though. _'What happened to him?'_

' _Nothing good, Max. Nothing good_.' Thinking about this was… painful. It'd been the start of, well… everything. Eager to move on, she switched to the next question. _'As for where I'm from_ …' if Akira could have smiled, she would now. Max was about to have her mind blown, '... _if you mean where I was born, I guess in that regard we, me and you, are very much alike, in more ways than you'd think. Don't think that the pull you feel towards Arcadia Bay is exclusive to you.'_

Max gradually put two and two together, her eyes going wide. ' _Wait, you were born in Arcadia?_ '

' _Born and raised, I saw them laying the groundwork for the lighthouse_.' She could almost remember it like it was yesterday.

' _What was it like… Arcadia, when you were little?_ ' Max had to admit her curiosity. She hoped Akira would answer her honestly.

Casting her memory back, Akira began to describe the old town's history. ' _Hmm, well, it was a lot smaller back then, it was barely classed as a village… mostly caravans and tents. It wasn't until I hit my first century it turned into an actual village, fishing by trade. It's changed a hell of a lot since I was your age, as you can imagine. Sometimes, I don't even recognize the place. Not everything changes, though. It still… feels the same_.'

A million questions raced through Max's head at this reveal. Akira was her own encyclopedia of Arcadia. She could learn anything, but right now she was opening up to her, and this was an opportunity the young Ahri was going to seize with both… paws.

' _And hobbies? Besides finding ways to embarrassing me_.'

'A _nd hanging out in your head you mean_ …' Akira added, amused. ' _Well, when I was MUCH younger, I used to be a proficient hunter, for obvious reasons. Used to travel and attend a LOT of parties, some of which are too… how shall we say, adventures for your ears,_ ' she replied, not wanting to downplay the young Ahri as a child, but some things really weren't meant for innocent ears.

' _Oh_?' Max commented, half curious and half worried.

Chuckling softly, Akira gave her a small hint. ' _Well, you recall your little… "courtship" with that werewolf a few months back_.'

Max's expression turned from curious to disgusted. ' _Eew, too much information_.'

' _Don't knock it 'til you tried it._ ' It was a little early for Max to be thinking about that kind of thing. In time, who knew?

' _I am so not listening_.' Max felt a bit embarrassed about this. She didn't really want to think about it.

' _You asked,_ ' Akira stated, matter-of-fact. _'I think that answers your questions, though_.'

' _Not nearly. You've got, what, THREE millenniums on me. You can't tell me all you did was, hunt, travel, party and…_ ' she hesitated, feeling her cheeks redden, '.. _.there must be more_.'

Before Akira could answer, Max noticed her little pack of followers were suddenly scampering for the treeline leaving their meal unfinished. Going into a crouch Max pricked her ears, searching for whatever had spooked them. She was intent on either scaring it off or dealing with it so her little friends could eat in peace. An uneasy silence came over the meadow. Somewhere a crow cawed, a cold gust of wind blew across the grass and the sound of a snapping twig caused the young Ahri to tense up.

' _What do you reckon?'_ Max asked, eyes darting around frantically to prevent an ambush.

Thinking over the possibilities, Akira gave her opinion. _'I don't think it's an animal, certainly not a cougar or wolf. You've been here long enough. This is basically your territory._ '

 _'Vampire maybe_?' Akira suggested.

Max shook her head. ' _Even I know they don't really come out during the day_.'

' _Not usually, and while it's uncomfortable for them, it's not unheard of_.'

' _You don't think it's_ …' She couldn't think it, a wave of panic began building inside her.

 _'I don't know, I find it unlikely, but.._.' Max didn't need Akira to finish that train of thought.

Backing herself slowly into the trees, she kept her ears pricked forwards for any sign of movement. When she could barely see the open meadow, she turned tail and bolted as quickly as she could back to the cabin. Akira didn't argue with her decision. If it came to a fight, familiar ground was preferable, and the old building was creaky enough to give away anyone trying to sneak up on them.

Bolting inside through the hanging door, Max made her way into the bathroom through the hole in the door, crouching down behind the old bathtub and peering under it towards the doorway. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she tried to get her breathing under control. She made a quick note of her options. If she needed a quick exit, it wouldn't be an issue punching a hole in the wall with her orb.

After a few tense minutes of silence, Max allowed herself to relax a little, only to tense up almost immediately at the sound of approaching footsteps over dried out twigs and leaves. Whoever it was wasn't trying to hide their presence, and they were definitely following her.

' _Akira._..'

The unspoken question was clear, but Akira didn't know how to answer. _'I don't know, Max… best be ready_.'

Max could hear the footsteps getting closer. When she heard the footfalls on the porch outside, her hackles instinctively raised. A low growl began building in her chest as her mind started to race, her body began to tremble as her adrenaline spiked, every sense magnified. A low grunt cut through the air, accompanied by the sound of the hanging door protesting against the wooden floor as it was shoved open and the footsteps entered. They were inside.

She heard the footsteps walk around inside where she had slept for the last three months, her sanctuary, her home, and stop she guessed next to the old sofa. There was a loud slumping noise, like someone dropping a heavy bag, and a weary sigh. Slowly, Max crept from her hiding spot, making her way near the door. The orb resting on one of her tails was a solid black, ready to either attack the intruder, or aid in her escape.

Approaching the door, Max cautiously peered out of the broken panel in the door. At the end of the hallway, she saw a tall figure facing away from her, leaning on the old couch. Shoulder length graying brunette hair, a long dark brown leather coat with dark green and brown combat trousers. Her eyes flicked to the black sheath fixed to the figure's back, a long straight blade with an ornate bronzed handle held within.

An unfamiliar, deep voice greeted her. "Hello, Max."


	18. Ian

**Ian**

Max froze. In those two words, several things became clear, and all of them didn't fill the young Ahri with confidence. First and most obviously, he knew her name. By extension, he knew what she was and probably most worryingly, he was looking for her. She moved out into the hallway, her orb still poised on one of her tails, a solid black ready to strike. A deep growl erupted from her chest, a warning.

' _Hold up, Max. That voice sounds… familiar_.' Akira stopped her before the young Ahri could do something she would later regret. She tried hard to match the voice to a name.

' _Is that good or bad_?' Max asked, not backing down but not advancing either.

The man gave an amused chuckle before speaking gently. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Vanessa's daughter." Max let out a small whimper at the mention of her mother's name. The man slumped his shoulders, sighing. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, Max… but, this isn't easy for me to say. Your mom, she..." There was sadness in his voice.

Letting out another whimper, the young Ahri hung her head. She didn't need him to finish. She already knew, she had watched it happen, after all.

Understanding that from her behavior, he turned giving her a sympathetic look. "I take it you already know then. I'm so sorry, Max. She… she was a good friend. A good mom, too." Sighing, he turned to the bag on the sofa and began going through it. "I got a few things in here for you. Now, I wasn't sure on your size so I just got a few bits that are a little forgiving, and also… now where did I put it...?" he trailed off as he began pulling out a few items of clothing, placing them to one side as he went deeper inside the bag.

Something snapped together for Akira, suddenly remembering where she recognized the man from. ' _Ian, I remember now. He was one of your mom's friends, hunter if I recall. He was one of the people who helped to hide Vanessa and you_.'

' _You're sure?_ ' Max asked cautiously, eyeing the unknown man.

' _Absolutely, I'd recognize those sideburns anywhere. Don't you think they make him look a little like a badger?_ ' Akira observed, clearly amused by the comparison.

' _Huh_ …' Tilting her head to get a better look, Max chuckled internally as she noticed that Ian's sideburns were swept back flaring out towards the back, indeed making him look a little like a badger. ' _That is so bad, but amusing as well._ '

Letting her orb settle back to its natural blue state, Max took a few steps towards Ian, looking curiously at the items he was unpacking. Various items of clothing including shorts, a few shirts and what looked like a skirt. Aside from the clothes was a small hunting knife, what looked like a portable camping stove like her father had, and some assorted packets of instant noodles and soups.

"AH HA, there you are… knew it was in here somewhere!" Ian exclaimed as he withdrew a thin string of dark leather tied in a loop. Hanging in the middle was a small oval shaped purple stone, no bigger than a peanut. With it hung on his finger, he held it up to show Max. The young Ahri titled her head, inspecting the purple stone not sure what to make of it.

"I believe you'll be needing this… unless you want to be a wolf forever. Though, I guess it has its advantages," Ian muttered, more to himself than Max.

' _Hey, mom had something that looked like that, I think… only it was bigger_ ,' Max thought, staring at the necklace. As the sunlight hit it, it gave an almost surreal glow to the small purple stone. She was momentarily transfixed by the shimmering rock, wanting to reach out and touch it.

' _That's right,_ ' Akira confirmed, going into more detail. ' _It's an Auralite stone, allows an Ahri, aka you, to stay human for as long as you wear it. Changing back is as simple as removing it... although, don't be wearing anything you like when you do_.'

' _Or else it gets turned into confetti_.' Max recalled the night she turned and what was left of her pajamas.

She took a step towards Ian, eyeing up the necklace only for him to withdraw it, frowning a little. "Uh, I think this might be best in private," he muttered hesitantly.

' _What the hell?_ ' Max asked, confused.

Amused by the confusion, Akira explained. ' _Max, this gig doesn't include clothes_.'

' _What do you…? Oh..._ ' That made a lot of sense. Clothes didn't just appear out of thin air after all.

After leading Ian into the bedroom, Max watched as he placed the clothes he had on the old dresser. He dragged the old moldy blanket off the bed and placed it around her. Taking the necklace out of his pocket, he then placed it over her neck and made a quick exit out of the room, closing the door behind him.

A weirdly warm tingling sensation spread through her body, extending from her chest, where the necklace came to rest, all the way down to her fingertips and toes. Her body shifted in appearance, fur retracting, snout retreating back to a human nose and paws decreasing in size as they transformed back into hands. It didn't hurt at all, felt totally natural.

After a few minutes, Max pulled the musty old blanket off her, taking a moment to examine her hands. It felt like forever since she last saw them. Quickly checking herself over, she shakily got to her feet almost falling over at first. Once she got her balance, she slowly made her way over to the full-length mirror, letting out a small gasp at the girl staring back at her.

The same brunette hair, a little longer than she remembered, hanging either side of her face. Poking up through her hair on either side of her head, two well-proportioned black wolf-like ears stood upright. Her deep blue eyes now had a dull emerald green encircling the irises. She was even partially glad to see the freckles over the bridge of her nose, spreading to her cheeks and fading as they trailed down her neck. Even her stomach looked much more defined and firmer, she definitely didn't have abs before. Behind her, she could see her familiar two black bushy tails. Turning to get a better look at them, she saw they seamlessly joined at the base of her spine. The girl staring back at her kinda reminded her of those girls in gym or fitness adverts she had seen on TV, minus the ears and tails of course. Absentmindedly, she ran a finger over her abs. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Wowser." Her voice came out choked, throat a little dry. How she'd missed being able to talk.

' _Problem?_ ' Akira inquired.

Max took a moment to answer, poking herself in her stomach and legs feeling a little out of sorts. ' _I wasn't expecting… this_.' She motioned towards the mirror at the girl staring back at her.

' _I'm sure I mentioned the ears and tails were kinda permanent_ ,' Akira offered, recalling the conversation they had months ago.

' _No, not that… although that's gonna take some getting used to, I mean… this_ ,' Max replied, pointing to her flat stomach and outlining her subtle abs.

' _Well, what did you think running around the woods for three months was going to do_?' Akira added in amusement as though it was obvious.

' _It's just… I look.._.'

' _Good_ ,' Akira finished. ' _Definitely looks good from where I'm sitting_.' She grinned, enjoying the chance to tease a little.

' _Well, yeah a little... wait… what…_?' Max stumbled over her words, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks.

' _Physically, you're pretty much full grown. You might get a little taller and certain… assets might fill out a bit more, but this is pretty much you now, and I must admit_ ,' Akira paused for a moment, watching in amusement as the young Ahri's face became even more flushed, ' _You look cute, more so when you blush_.'

Max rolled her eyes, tired of the new attention she was receiving already. She didn't do well in the spotlight. ' _Great, first a werewolf, now a three-thousand-year-old ghost_ …'

Akira chuckled. ' _And which do you prefer?_ '

' _At least I could HIT the werewolf_.' Max scowled, trying to look annoyed but only succeeding in looking more flustered.

' _Relax, Max, learn to take a compliment… you're gonna get a lot more now, as well as a fair amount of attention_.' Akira thought for a moment before continuing. ' _You'd have definitely got my attention in the past_.'

' _Firstly, please don't… comment on my, uh… newly acquired…_ ' Unable to find the words she just motioned vaguely at the mirror.

' _Chill out, Max. I'm just messing with you. Trying to lighten the mood and all. Besides, you're WAY too young for me. There's a three thousand year age gap remember_ ,' Akira reassured, finding the embarrassment hilarious. ' _Although, age IS just a number…_ '

Max didn't seem impressed. _'Ugh, do you ever quit it_?'

' _Nope_.' Sighing heavily, Max shifted her attention to the clothes. She looked at the skirt, frowning. It might be easier to put on, what with her tails, but it wasn't her style. _'Oh, but you'd look cute in the skirt_ ,' Akira chimed in, the grin obvious in her voice.

' _DEFINITELY not wearing it now_.' Max grabbed the shorts and one of the smaller shirts. She tackled the shirt first, stepping away from the mirror so Akira couldn't see. As far as Max could tell, her passenger could only see what she could. After all the awkward teasing, she didn't want to add fuel to that fire. The shorts… they were more difficult. After trying to wrestle them on and failing miserably, she found a pair of slightly rusted scissors in the drawer of the dresser and, with Akira's direction, carefully cut a V shape in the back to accommodate her tails.

Checking herself in the mirror, Max could almost hear Akira's disapproval at her new attire, a plain light brown shirt, and black shorts. She had to admit, it's not what she would have picked EVER.

' _Um, if I may_?' Akira offered.

Max rolled her eyes, sighing. ' _What is it_?'

 _'Well, you do realize the skirt is supposed to be worn WITH the shorts. And at least it would match then too,_ ' Akira explained.

Looking over at the skirt resting on the dresser, Max pondered it for a moment. Shrugging she grabbed it and slipped it on, not bothering to do the zip at the back so her tails would fit nicely in the opening, doing up the button and checking herself again in the mirror.

Despite it matching a little better now, it still didn't look good. _'I feel like a business woman for a nature reserve or something_.'

Akira gave a small chuckle, stopping herself when she saw Max's scowl in the mirror. ' _Uh, um, sorry. Try this. Undo the top three buttons on your shirt, and the bottom three, and then roll up the bottom of the shirt a little, tying the corners of the shirt in a simple knot. Not too tight mind._ '

Max did as suggested, to her surprise it looked a little better but did make her feel a little exposed. ' _This is way too much skin._ '

' _Relax, you'd show more at the beach, besides make the best of a bad situation,_ ' Akira sighed, ' _Any other color… although I do sorta get it, blending in and everything, but still_ …'

 _'If I get any comments about this, I'm blaming you_ ,' Max grumbled, not happy with that prospect.

' _If you get any comments it will either be about the color, which I am not responsible for, or how hot you are, again something I can't take credit for… well, I can take a little_.'

That last bit confused Max. ' _How do you figure?_ '

 _'I got you to eat properly. If I hadn't, you'd be all… bony_.' Malnourished Ahri did not look good. Akira had seen a few in her lifetime.

Before Max could reply she heard Ian in the other room talking to someone. Pricking her ears, she listened curiously. "Oh, hi John. Yeah, I found her. Yes, she's alive." There was a slight pause. "A lot further than we thought, Manning Provincial Park. About two hundred miles north of Ross Lake in an abandoned cabin. Yeah, yeah, I know. Overheard some drunk at The Cascade mountain lodge saying he saw a two-tailed demon running around, no one seemed to believe him though." He chuckled softly before continuing. "What do you want us to do? Yeah, ok, well, it seems safe enough here. Seems like she's been here a while. There's definitely more chance of being spotted on the move. Ok, well I guess we'll see you in two weeks then, ok, bye." Ian let out a sigh as Max heard him slump onto the sofa.

' _What was that about?_ ' Max asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

' _Sounded like checking in with HQ. Either we're leaving here, or there coming to get us… you'll be much safer at the hunters' HQ_ ,' Akira explained, eager to move on. Staying in one place too long made her feel uneasy, especially with that vampire on the prowl. He could still be following them.

' _Well, I guess we might as well go say hello now I'm decent and able to talk, well aloud now._ ' Tugging the old door open, Max made her way into the main living area of the old dilapidated cabin to find Ian slouched back on the sofa.

Upon seeing the young Ahri he got to his feet, offering his hand as he greeted her. "Name's Ian, Ian Amber. You probably don't remember me… last time I saw you, I think you were either four or five."

A little hesitantly Max shook his hand. Looking to Akira for help, she asked, ' _We've met before_?'

Akira knew Ian much better than Max thanks to Vanessa. ' _Yeah, you've met him before, although it was briefly.'_

"Was a long time ago, too long." His expression turned sad and hesitant as he looked straight into her eyes. "Look, um… I'm sorry Max, about your mother."

Max nodded stiffly, swallowing hard at the mention of her mother. "Thank you… it's been… It's not been easy."

Ian shook his head slowly his expression pained, "No, Max, I mean... It's my fault. I was meant to be there... I didn't get there 'til I assume the morning after, been searching for you ever since".

"I don't think you being there would've helped much," Max muttered solemnly. Ian gave Max a questioning look. Sighing, she took a seat on the sofa next to Ian and recalled to him the events of that horrific night.

* * *

"You're absolutely sure it was just the one?" Ian asked, wanting to find out as much information about Vanessa's murderer as possible. He was also aware that this would be painful for Max to remember, so he had to tread lightly.

Max nodded firmly. "But he didn't seem… normal."

"Oh?" That could mean so many things. Thankfully, he didn't have to press for more information.

"His eyes," she shuddered as the image surfaced in her memory, "his eyes were… purple, and very, very creepy. Like too creepy for words, WAY worse than in any horror film."

Ian considered the new information, trying to come up with an explanation. A few came to mind, none of which were good. "That's… worrying, although it's a good news-bad new situation. Means were only looking for one vampire. The fact he can overpower an Ahri is… rare, not unheard of, but being able to shrug off Vanessa's attacks… something isn't adding up."

Max frowned, confused. "I thought Ahri were supposed to be stronger than vampires."

Noticing the surprise, Ian quickly began to explain. "Physically, in human form, no. As a wolf, it's fairly even, the speed advantage is yours then, but that orb of yours is what gives you the edge. I've never heard of anyone being able to punch it out the way though… not without getting seriously hurt."

' _First time I've seen it too_ ,' Akira chimed in, just as puzzled as the graying hunter.

"Every time we get a little closer another question pops up. Still no idea WHY they're doing it." Letting out a sigh, he got off the couch and headed over to the old wood burner, beginning to fiddle with it. "Anyway, I dunno about you but I'm starving. I assume you've got pretty adept at hunting."

"My first decent meal was a mountain lion." Max grinned proudly. While she had stumbled upon the wild cat by accident and it had been more of a 'kill or be killed' situation than a planned hunt, she had handled herself pretty well. Better than she would have thought.

"Really? ...not a young Ahri's usual first kill." He seemed pleasantly surprised and genuinely impressed by this.

"That's what Akira said… although my first was a bunny. The lion was later the same day," she divulged. Admittedly, that lessened the badassness of her hunting skills. Only a little. She had still wrestled with a freaking mountain lion and survived to fight another day. Chloe would be so awestruck if she knew. Max wished she could tell her…

At the mention of Akira, Ian's focus increased significantly. "Wait, you don't mean the same Akira that hung out in Vanessa's head."

Max nodded. "Apparently so."

Ian rubbed his face with his hands, "Oh no… she's told you about the badger look, hasn't she?"

The young Ahri struggled to suppress a grin. "Badger look?" she asked innocently as she heard Akira crack into a fit a laughter.

He shook his head, chuckling. "Fuck you, Akira. It's an ongoing joke with her, your mother, Joyce, and Elise… my wife." His sentence trailed off as a somber expression came over him. Clearly, he knew something Max didn't, something bad about his wife, and he probably wasn't going to tell her. She wasn't about to press him, not after he looked so dejected. "Ok, I'll leave the hunting to you while I get a fire going." He took out a lighter from his pocket, flicking it on to check it still had some juice left.

Nodding, Max went back into the bedroom, stripped down and took the necklace off. Her wolf-like features returned, the transformation reversing, she grabbed the necklace with her teeth, handing it back to Ian for safe keeping before she bounded off into the forest. Around an hour later, just as the sun was setting, she returned with a decent haul, three rabbits. She would have brought something bigger, but it would have been difficult to carry back, although Akira suggested next time to just chase a buck towards the cabin.

When she returned, Ian repeated the scene from earlier, letting her get changed in peace. While he set about preparing the rabbits on the old wood burner. Pulling out a switchblade, he began to skin and gut the rabbits, cutting them into smaller chunks. The meat would cook faster that way. Wrapping them up in foil, he placed them over the fire. Now, they just had to wait a while. Every now and then, Ian turned the foil parcels over so they were heated evenly. Soon enough, the chunks were cooked and Ian fished them out of the fire. He unwrapped them, distributing them between two metal mess tins and passing one over to Max. She gratefully accepted the tin, getting stuck in.

"So, what's the plan?" Max asked between bites of the freshly cooked rabbit. How she had missed hot food. Sure, it wasn't a five-star meal, a little bland, but better than nothing.

"Well," Ian stopped to swallow, "they're sending up some transport to pick us up in two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" Max choked. She had expected a couple of days at most, but a fortnight… that was a LONG time to wait around. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt really vulnerable out in the forest and would feel much safer surrounded by a sturdy wall with a roof over her head. Well, one that didn't leak.

Having expected this kind of reaction, he went on to explain the delay. "Well, they're gonna sort you out with a new identity, get it into the system. Can't do the picture until they know what your gonna look like, so gives you time to pick something."

"I can't do the illusion charm yet, not like I've had time to practice," the young Ahri mentioned, sounding a little disappointed that she hadn't had the chance to play around with her newly gained powers properly. All she had experienced so far was the downside of her heritage.

 _'I said I'd help you with that, remember?'_ Akira reassured. With her help, Max would learn in no time. She seemed to be a fairly quick learner, which helped.

' _Yeah, I know._ ' Max wasn't entirely convinced but didn't want to start another pointless argument. Neither did Akira, she suspected.

"Well, we have two weeks to figure that out," Ian continued, oblivious to the internal conversation Max was having with Akira, "in the meantime, we just gotta sit tight. Nice place for a vacation, though... peaceful and quiet. How's the rabbit?"

Max bobbed her head from side to side as she chewed. "It's ok. Think I prefer mountain lion, though. It tastes… richer." She shrugged, swallowing her mouthful.

' _Got a taste for the wild side, have you?_ ' Akira mused playfully.

' _Hush you_.'

"Well, I can't say I've ever tried it… Maybe I'll have a chance while we're here," Ian replied, going back to chewing his food thoughtfully.

"If I can find one. Not seen any since that first one," Max paused frowning slightly in thought. "Not seen any other predators, like wolves either… well, except my little pack of dogs." She did kind of miss their company, as much as she might not want to admit it.

' _Liar, or have you forgotten about the wolf the other month?_ ' Akira teased.

Max visibly blushed at the reminder. If Ian saw it, he didn't say anything. ' _Technically a WEREWOLF, and so not talking to you for the rest of the night_.'

' _Aww, cmon it's funny_.'

"So, any chance you spoke to Joyce or Chloe since we left?" Max asked Ian, ignoring Akira's baiting.

"Sorry, no. I only went home to see..." Ian trailed off. Putting his food down, he rubbed his face sighing, "Sorry, it's just... my wife, Elise, she… she was killed by a vampire, the day before I was meant to meet your folks."

"I'm so sorry…" Max mumbled, understanding how he felt, at least a little. "Do you think…?"

Guessing what she was about to suggest next, he cut in. "Not your fault, Max. None of this is. And do I think it was the same vampire...? Yeah, yeah I do."

' _He's right, you know, none of this is your fault,_ ' Akira firmly reinforced.

Max let out a stifled humph. ' _Looks that way from where I'm sat. William, mom, dad and now Elise, a woman I didn't even know_.'

' _Umm, actually… you did. She definitely knew you_ ,' Akira couldn't help but correct.

' _You just made my point_ …' Max felt like crying again, doing her very best to keep her composure in front of Ian. He would just ask questions and she didn't really feel like answering any. ' _Maybe I should just let him find me, then no one._..'

' _DON'T YOU EVEN DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!_ ' Akira growled, determined to get this out of the young Ahri's head right now. _'Do you think that your mom and dad would want you to just throw your life away like that?_ '

' _What does it matter? I have NO ONE_.' Max practically screamed this in her head, frustrated at Akira constantly invalidating how she felt, making her feel more alone. ' _Might as well get it over with. No one else is dying for me_.'

Deciding to stop pulling her punches, Akira went for the only thing she knew would bring Max out of her self-destructive train of thought. ' _And you think Chloe would be ok with that? Having her father die to protect YOU, for you to just throw it away. I'm sure Joyce would be fine with that too_ ,' she snapped.

"You ok, Max?" Ian asked, seeing the young girl tearing up as she fiddled with her tails.

 _'What do you care? You're already dead_ ,' Max retorted curling herself up on the sofa.

Seeing Max was in no mood to talk, Ian got up and grabbed his rucksack making his way to the back room. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night... Max, none of this is your fault, you can't keep blaming yourself," and with that, he disappeared into the bedroom.

' _Max, I've been where you are, believe me… it's not the answer,_ ' Akira replied, trying to remain calm.

 _'I could just go wolf and disappear, no one knows me, no one gets hurt_ ,' Max muttered, barely loud enough to hear.

' _What and wait for someone else to make a stand, let someone else deal with the burden?_ ' Akira asked, a hint of frustration creeping into her otherwise calm and collected question.

' _Like you keep saying, this isn't my fault. I DIDN'T WANT THIS, ASK FOR IT, OR CAUSE IT_!' She was done with all this. Done with being different. Why couldn't she just go back in time to her normal life? Where she was happy. Where she had parents and friends. Where she didn't have to worry about some creepy as hell vampire possibly following and killing her… where she had a life worth living.

' _No, you didn't, but are you really going to walk away from this, KNOWING it's going to happen to another girl? Another Ahri who might not be as lucky as you._ ' As bad as Max had it, it was nothing compared to what some Ahri went through.

Max didn't seem to agree. ' _Pfft… If this is lucky, I'd hate to see unlucky_.'

' _At least you got to have a life WITH your parents, you survived your first night and in all honesty THRIVED. I don't say it often, but you've actually surprised me on more than one occasion_.' It was true. All things considered, Max had gone above and beyond expectation.

' _Yeah, right_.'

 _'I actually mean that, Max. In your first night, you got all the way out here on your own, found somewhere safe, fought and KILLED a mountain lion on your third day, figured out your orb, mostly on your own, beat of an admirer, and found yourself a place where you could thrive. All on your own_ ,' Akira listed off, genuinely impressed with everything the young Ahri had achieved in such a short space of time.

' _Not all on my own_ ,' Max replied depressingly.

' _Give yourself some credit, I've only told you what you needed to hear, my point is… Some Ahri..._ ' Akira hesitated.

' _You're not gonna give me some half-truth about how lucky I am, are you_?' Max asked tiredly, done with Akira's vague responses.

 _'You think you got it bad, I know how you feel. I've been there, still AM there. I'm reminded every day of my failures on more levels than you can possibly understand_.' Akira felt angry, at her situation and most of all at herself. This mess was all her fault because she was selfish and just assumed everything would work out.

' _Then why hang around?_ ' Max snapped back, wanting her to shut up and leave her alone. _'No one's keeping you here, you've kept your promise. I'm alive, I know how to look after myself out here, so don't feel obliged to stick around poking fun at me and making me feel worse than I already do._ '

' _Because I made a PROMISE, not just to Vanessa, not just to you, but to myself to make sure you get the life you're SUPPOSED to have. You wanna know where I go when I disappear?_ ' Time to put Max's experiences into perspective. Right now, she needed the cold hard truth.

' _To see other Ahri, you already explained this._ ' Max didn't really care about other Ahri right now.

' _Yes, except I'm not always in time… two nights ago, I found a new Ahri, like minutes old. She was an orphan from a very early age and had no idea what was happening to her. Before I could calm her down enough to help her, a pack of wolves got hold of her and ripped her apart... All I could do was watch as she died absolutely terrified and I felt EVERYTHING_!' Akira's voice got louder and louder until she was practically screaming in Max's head. Failure after failure, that was what made up both her life and this afterlife limbo.

 _'Akira, I.._.'

Cutting in, Akira continued a little more calmly. ' _So, you'll have to excuse me if I find it a little insulting that you think you got it hard. Yes, it's been fucking hard, believe me, I get it, but I refuse to stand by and let you give up… I NEED you not to give up, Max.'_

Max shook her head, feeling resigned. _'You've got the wrong Ahri, Akira. I've got nothing left to lose.'_

' _We'll see about that, but in the meantime… No more of this throwing your life away rubbish, and in return… I won't bring up your werewolf again… maybe._ ' Wiping her cheek, Max let herself grin a little as she got comfortable, wrapping one of her tails around her. _'I knew you found it amusing_ ,' Akira commented quietly.

' _You said you wouldn't bring it up again_ ,' Max replied playfully.

' _Dunno what you're talking about… goodnight, Max. Speak to you tomorrow_.'

Feeling drained from the days hunting, running and emotional release, Max let her eyes close as she drifted into a disjointed restless sleep of haunting purple eyes, blood-curdling screams and the cold touch of death.

Over the next few days, Max and Ian spent their time repairing the obvious leaky points in the old cabin. Ian used the pelts from Max's hunt to make her a basic pair of leather slippers, not the most comfortable in the world, but they did stop her cutting her feet on the forest floor.

Akira had also kept her word helping Max out with her illusion charm, although she was finding it frustrating. While hair color was easy to change, hiding her ears and tails was proving to take some real concentration. Akira assured her that it was just a case of muscle memory, or rather memory memory. The more she used it, the easier it would get.

It was late evening when Max went out into the woods, finding herself walking along the bank. It was surprising how different everything looked and smelled when she was in her human form. Sound wise, everything was the same, not surprising considering she still had her ears. Juggling her orb from tail to tail while it emitted a soft white glow, she watched the shadows dance as she played orchestrator.

She was brought out of her own entertainment by a distant high-pitched scream, one she recognized instantly. ' _Hey, Akira._ '

 _'I heard it_ ,' Akira confirmed, confident she knew what Max was about to suggest. ' _Didn't Ian say he hadn't tried mountain lion_?'

 _'I was thinking the EXACT same thing_ ,' Max said with a smirk as she turned on her heel, breaking into a sprint back towards the cabin to get changed.

As she approached the clearing to the lodge a painful scream filled the air. It sent a shiver down her spine and she darted behind a nearby tree. Poking her head out looking towards the cabin her heart almost stopped at the sight before her. Ian knelt in the dirt in front of the cabin, behind him a tall masked figure holding his arm behind his back at an unnatural angle.

"Where is she?" the unknown voice commanded, an eerie calmness to the demand. Max's mind raced as she placed the familiar voice. Images of the last night she saw her mother alive flashed in front of her. It was HIM.

"Go to hell," Ian spat.

"Obviously, you enjoy pain," the vampire mocked as he wrenched Ian's arm, causing him to let out another scream. "Now, I won't ask nicely again. WHERE IS SHE?!"

"You ain't having her, you pig," Ian snarled back weakly, doing his best to escape the vampire's clutches.

"Have it your way," he sneered as he sunk his fangs into Ian's neck.

"NOO!" Max screamed having to stop herself from rushing in.

The vampire stopped feeding and looked up towards her, his deep purple eyes paralyzing her to the spot in fear as a vile grin spread across his face. "Well, well, I guess she wasn't far after all," he jeered.

"Max, RUN!" Ian shouted as he forced himself up, punching the vampire in jaw causing him to merely grunt. The vampire simply broke his neck without a second thought, Ian's body slumping lifelessly to the ground.

 _'Max run, NOW!_ ' Akira commanded. Max didn't respond, fear paralyzing her to the spot as she watched another person die before her, the vampire now moving towards her. ' _MAX_!'

She snapped out of her paralysis as a jolt of adrenalin shot through her, and turned on her heel, bolting into the woods with the vampire in hot pursuit. Bushes and trees blurred past as her mind ran at a million miles, her heart pounding in her chest. Her pursuer's footfall was getting closer and closer with each passing second.

' _He's too fast_ ,' Max struggled to think amongst the chaos. There was only so long she could run like this.

' _The necklace, get it off. NOW!_ ' Akira instructed, sensing the vampire's presence getting way too close.

Placing her hand on the purple stone, Max cast a quick glance behind her. Her assailant was just visible, his purple eyes locked onto her as she ripped the small stone from her neck. Placing the leather strap of it in her mouth, she almost instantly exploded out of her clothes leaving scraps of brown fabric like confetti behind her. The world sped by at the sudden increase in momentum as she quickly matched the vampire's speed.

While the vampire wasn't getting closer, he certainly wasn't getting any further away. All it would take was one stumble and he would be on them in a second. ' _We need to lose him, FAST!_ '

' _I'm open to suggestions_ ,' Max responded, panting lightly as she continued to sprint as fast as she could.

' _He's as fast as you... he's not normal,_ ' Akira thought aloud, trying to understand just what was going on.

' _Thanks for pointing out the obvious_ ,' Max mentioned sarcastically.

' _Sorry, sorry… how the hell did he find us_?'

' _AKIRA!_ ' The young Ahri shouted pleadingly.

' _Sorry, I don't know… I..._ ' Panic clouded Akira's judgment, rendering her unable to give advice. Would this end the same as always?

' _Akira… I need you_.'

Leaping through a bush, Max quickly found herself following a familiar trail. Heading towards the river and banking slightly to the left, she cleared a fallen tree landing the other side of a small ravine. The vampire's footfall disappeared for a few seconds before a dull thud signaled his success at clearing the same obstacle. This move had only given her a few extra seconds of lead. It wasn't enough.

' _AKIRA… I'm not giving up, but I can't do this alone_ ,' Max pleaded, very aware of her pursuer.

'.. _.right, umm_ …' Akira put her thinking cap on, trying to come up with a way of getting out of this. ' _The ground holds your scent more than the air_.'

' _Great… um, I can't fly._ ' Max couldn't see the relevance of this statement to her situation.

' _No… but you can jump_ ,' Akira noted, bringing the young Ahri's attention to the river.

Max's eyes went wide at her passenger's suggestion. ' _Akira… that's forty feet… AT LEAST._ '

' _You can make it, but._..' Akira paused, gathering her thoughts.

' _But what?_ ' Max snapped. Now was not the time for hesitation. She could hear the vampire's footfall around two hundred feet behind her. Just one slip and it was over.

' _You're gonna need a better lead on him… or a distraction_ ,' Akira continued.

' _And how am I supposed to.._.' Max glanced behind her, the vampire wasn't in sight but she could still hear him. The sight of her blue orb clinging to her tail gave her an idea. Concentrating on her orb, she caused to glow a brilliant white, lighting up the woods and brush as she bolted past them. The light shimmered across the river turning it into a silver mirror as she pushed faster and started banking away from the river.

' _MAX, what are you doing?! He can see you!_ ' Akira practically shouted in her mind. Just what on earth was Max thinking?

' _That's the plan_ ,' Max grunted continuing to bank away from the river. After a few minutes, she was back where she originally joined the river.

' _You've just gone in a complete circle_ ,' Akira said in alarm. This was not good.

Instead of replying, Max took a sharp right towards the river, flicking her brightly glowing orb as hard as she could to the left deep into the woods. The action plunged her surroundings into darkness, lighting up a bunch of trees some thirty feet away as she burst through a bush on the river bank. The necklace in her mouth caught on one of the branches, ripping it clean out as she leaped across the river. Her orb shifted to a solid black as it began returning to her, coming to rest on her tail as she reached the other side of the river, misjudging the height of the bank and crashing in a heap on the river bank. It took all her will to stifle a yelp as a jolt of pain shot through her legs at the impact and forced herself to scramble into a nearby bush panting heavily.

Peeking through the bushes, Max could see the vampire stopping roughly where her orb went out. Letting out a frustrated yell, he punched a nearby tree taking a sizable chunk out of it.

' _Max… that was… BRILLIANT_!'

Max couldn't help but smile despite the situation. _'I'll take that as a compliment_.'

' _Seriously, I wouldn't have thought of that... oooh, he REALLY doesn't look happy_ ,' Akira stated smugly as the vampire appeared to be throwing what could only be classed as a temper tantrum.

' _So glad that worked… I think I hurt my shoulder on that landing._ ' Max tried moving her shoulder, wincing as pain surged through it. She didn't think it was broken at least.

' _Lucky it wasn't your neck_ …' feeling guilty about going MIA on Max, Akira hesitantly apologized, '.. _.sorry, I froze... I thought I was gonna lose you, fail again_.'

 _'I ain't ready to die yet… dunno how much of a life I'm gonna have, but… ah, SHIT_!' Max thought as she watched the vampire pluck her necklace from the bush. Looking at it, he then cast a glance across the river scanning the bank. She pulled back from the bush as his gaze passed her by. When she looked again, he was gone.

Max cursed internally at the loss of her newly acquired, and now newly lost, necklace. _'Suppose it's a good thing I can hunt_.'

' _We'll get you another one, Max_ ,' Akira reassured. There was no way they should risk chasing after that vampire. Given his swift departure, he seemed satisfied with his consolation prize. Best to let him go. ' _You're alive and right now that's all that matters._ '

Max knew that was true, but still felt bummed out at not being able to change back to human anymore. ' _I know… I just got used to being… well, me again.'_

' _Silly… who are you if not you_?'

' _I do wonder sometimes_ ,' Max chuckled as she tried to get to her feet, only to collapse when her leg gave out from under her almost causing her to yelp. ' _Fuck, that hurts_.'

The ordeal wasn't over yet for Max. She was far from safe, but at least the worst had passed. ' _Not that you have a choice but I'd suggest sleeping here tonight. Your shoulder should be fine tomorrow. We've got a long trip ahead of us._ '

' _Oh, where we going?_ ' Max asked, clearing a space and getting herself comfortable for the night.

' _Portland. We're going directly to the hunters' guild_.'


	19. Sleepover

**Sleepover**

"Oh, Ian…" An overwhelming wave of sadness hit Joyce like a punch to the gut. Ian had been a good man, friend, and father. Dedicated to his work and compassionate. Some hunters could get cynical, merciless and hold many prejudices against supernatural beings as time passed, not him. He was forgiving and fair but knew when to put his foot down, draw a line.

Rachel felt numb. Sure, she had expected that something bad had happened to her father but actually hearing it… she could never have prepared herself for the harsh reality. Swallowing hard, she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes. Not only had he died but been tortured, too.

Joyce turned to the blonde, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. Your father, he didn't deserve that."

"Father?" Max choked, cold dread gripping at her heart. Getting another person killed protecting her was one thing. To learn that Ian was Rachel's father… made it so much worse. Another life she had inadvertently ruined.

Unable to stand it any longer, Rachel stood up and left. She needed to clear her head. Leaving through the front door she started walking, her pace unintentionally quickening until she was flat out sprinting into the night. Tears were flowing freely now, years of suppressed emotions leaking out with the new information.

Taking advantage of her newly gained vampire speed boost, Chloe set off after her once she had come to her senses. Rachel had been there for her over the past five years, now it was time to return the favor. It didn't take her long to catch up. The blonde hunter had made it all the way to Arcadia Bay's beach, sitting on the sand as the wind whipped through her hair. Her eyes were focused out towards the horizon, looking across the ocean as the moonlight skittered across its surface. Maybe she wanted to be alone, but Chloe had to give her the option. Being alone when you needed someone was the worst possible outcome.

Not sure what to do or say, the blue-haired vampire hesitantly approached her. "Want some company?"

"Yeah. I actually do." After her friend sat down, they were silent for a while. Eventually, Rachel spoke again, her voice softer as the vulnerability showed. "This is all so…" The sentence remained unfinished, words failing her.

"Fucked up?" Chloe suggested.

Rachel nodded, sighing as she traced idle patterns in the sand. "Took the words right out of my mouth. You know, I've always known it. That something bad happened to my dad. People don't just disappear off the face of the earth for no reason, trained hunters especially. Doesn't make the truth any easier to swallow."

"I can't imagine it does. I'm… sorry, Rach." That was all Chloe could think of saying right now.

Acknowledging the response with a stiff nod, Rachel ran her fingers through her hair. "I probably should have said something to Max before I left. Bet she thinks I hate or blame her or something, which I don't. Far from it. Dad was doing his job. He was just… unfortunate."

"A lot of people are nowadays."

Rachel smiled sadly. "Ain't that the truth. In a way, I'm kind of relieved to know what happened. I've wanted answers for so long now and, while they aren't what I hoped for, at least I have them. More than most people get."

Watching her friend closely, Chloe shrugged. "Doesn't mean you can't feel sad about it."

Agreeing, Rachel nodded. "Yeah… answers only help so much. Oh, man… this sucks."

"You know what else sucks now? Me." Chloe grinned, her pointed fangs exposed.

Narrowing her eyes, the blonde hunter asked in an accusatory tone, "Was that a terrible attempt at a vampire joke?"

Chloe's grin only widened at the accusation. "It sure was. Except it wasn't terrible, it was awesome."

"Yeah, right." Not one to be beaten, Rachel added her own contribution to the bad jokes train. "Fangs for ruining my day with that awful joke.

"Hey, you can't complain if you join in too. You're nearly as bad as Max with bad puns…" Chloe shoved her shoulder, rolling her eyes in an over-exaggerated manner. At least Rachel was smiling again. That was all that mattered right now.

* * *

**Meanwhile, Back at Chloe's**

Max was running her fingers over the necklace her mother had left her, inspecting the lettering on the back and going through the names in her head. 'J for Joyce, I for Ian, V for Vanessa, E for Elise, R for Ryan and B... oh right, Bill's short for William. Joyce is the only one left.' Taking a shaky breath to hold back the tears she could feel building, Max got to her feet making her way towards the hallway.

"Max… where are you going?" The familiar voice cut through her determination to leave. Max froze refusing to turn to look at the older woman. She knew if she did, she wouldn't have the strength to do what she had to.

"She's leaving," Kate mumbled as she put her phone down, a subtle bleep indicating the message she was sending was received.

"Over my dead body, young lady." Joyce scowled.

Still refusing to look her in the eyes, Max stared straight forward. "I can't stay Joyce… I've been back a day and I've almost got you all KILLED just BEING here."

"Not the way I heard or SAW it," Joyce countered gently. "The way I heard it, last night you SAVED Chloe and Rachel. If it wasn't for you, Chloe would be dead right now and..."

"NO!" Max snapped. "It's BECAUSE I was there. That vampire attacked ME and Chloe stepped up while I just… froze."

"Max, you didn't freeze, you got rid..." Kate wasn't allowed to finish her sentence.

Shaking her head solemnly, the young Ahri corrected her. "No, Kate, I froze. Last night… It wasn't me, it was..."

"Akira."

Max nodded quickly. "Akira was wrong about me coming back to Arcadia Bay"

Joyce stood her ground, refusing to believe she meant that. "You didn't want too?"

Max nervously shifted her weight. She wanted to say no, but despite all the grief and pain, she was seriously glad to be back, and trying to lie with Kate sat ten feet behind her would be useless as Akira had pointed out several times over the last two days. Grabbing her elbow, she took a nervous breath.

Gathering her thoughts and resolve, Max tried to come up with an answer to that question. "No… Yes… ugh, I wanted to, so much, but I also knew it would end badly. It always does. Chloe almost got killed last night, and because of that she's now a vampire and through that, she would have killed Kate, Rach and you, Joyce. Then there's being the bearer of bad news on SO many levels." Her eyes were stinging now, but she refused to give in and break down.

Noticing she was slowly getting through, making Max really think about this, Joyce pressed forward. "But Chloe didn't die, and YOU stopped her, Max. YOU did that. Not me. Not Rachel. NOT AKIRA. YOU."

"I WON'T TAKE YOU AWAY FROM HER AND RACHEL... you're all they have left." Max turned to face other two women. Seeing Joyce's pained expression was enough to break her composure. The young Ahri fell to her knees sobbing. "All I create is just... death and destruction… everywhere I go, and for what… maybe I should just…"

Joyce didn't let the young girl finish that sentence, rushing over and wrapping her arms around her. "Don't you dare finish that thought. You are WORTH it, Max… We WILL figure this out."

* * *

**Chloe and Rachel, At the Beach**

The two girls sat, enjoying the late evening breeze as they each took in the magnitude of Max's tale. For Chloe, it was a cold hard reality check. For years she had been sulking, thinking she had been abandoned and just cast aside, when the cold truth was, none of them had much of a choice. It was all to protect her, no, to protect Max, and to that end, she was ok with it. For Rachel, it was so many years of not knowing what happened to her father, why he disappeared the same night she watched her mother die in her arms. While she hadn't seen the attack herself, a mercy in itself, she still had to watch her pass away. Max, on the other hand, had her father dead, changing into what she was now, not having a clue what was going on, and then watching her mother being murdered in front of her. Then, watching another person die in front of her and to top it off, being alone for five years. Either way, neither of them could, no neither of them WOULD hold a candle to what Max must've been feeling.

Between them, they had suffered a hell of a lot. That much could be said. They shouldn't compare their pain, though. Hopefully, Karma would kick in any time now and give them a break. Deep down, despite this hope, Rachel had a feeling their problems weren't over. The vampire Max had told them about was probably still running loose, doing whatever the hell it was he was trying to achieve. He might have moved on, but somehow she didn't believe that… as much as she wanted to.

The silence was broken by Rachel's phone alerting her to several messages. Reluctantly, she took the device out of her pocket checking the messages.

**Kate - Rach, I'm sorry about your father. Take your time, I'll hold things 'til you get back**

**Kate - Did Chloe find you?**

**Kate - Wait, stupid question, of course she did**

**Kate - If you're passing that way I don't suppose you could feed Alice, please? Feel free to hug her, she usually makes me feel better**

"Jesus Kate, talk about spam much," Rachel mused as she typed a quick 'ok, be back in a bit' and hit send before turning to the bluenette. "Kate asked if we could feed Alice for her. Guess it's a sleepover at your house tonight."

"Not sure where you're all sleeping," Chloe smirked.

"Good point. You do hog the bed, not to mention the duvet," Rachel added smugly, always eager to tease her friend.

Chloe shoved her shoulder playfully. "Psh, you can talk."

Sneaking into Blackwell proved much easier than previous attempts. Granted it was usually Chloe that got caught, but with her heightened senses and reflexes dodging the lone guard proved almost too easy. Using her spare key, Rachel let them into Kate's room so they could feed Alice, swiftly departing back to Chloe's for the night.

"So apparently, it's a mass sleepover tonight," Chloe proclaimed as she entered the house through the back door after jumping the garden fence with Rachel in tow.

"Apparently so," Kate yawned giving a limp wave from the sofa where she lay curled up in the corner, refusing to move from her warm spot under the blanket.

"Where's mom and Max?" Chloe inquired after quickly summarizing that Kate was the only person downstairs, the kitchen in darkness and only a lamp lighting the living room.

"Joyce went to bed after calming Max down from her mini meltdown, and I think Max went up to the bathroom a few minutes ago," Kate replied, rubbing her temples to try and alleviate the headache that had been building all day.

"We fed Alice for you, she seems happy enough… How's your head?" The young hunter asked upon seeing Kate's attempts at alleviating her head pains. She had enough going on in her own head to worry about. Poor Kate got the brunt of everything everyone was feeling.

"Thanks, and the worst I've had by far. Feels like my brain's been scrambled." Kate smiled weakly. She didn't want to admit it, but with everything going on all the second-hand emotions just made her want to curl up and cry.

Rachel offered a sympathetic smile, taking note that Chloe had her head in the fridge, as always. Taking the opportunity, Rachel quickly made her way across the diner to the stairs after telling the two girls she wanted a word with Max and headed upstairs. Passing the bathroom, seeing the door ajar and a small puddle of water next to the shower, Rachel summarized Max had taken a shower and was therefore in Chloe's room. She gave the door a gentle knock so as not to wake Joyce.

"One minute," came Max's reply, along with a fair amount of shuffling around.

"Pretty sure I've seen it all before, communal showers at school and everything," Rachel whispered playfully.

"Ugh, not you as well," Max muttered. She had enough of that kind of talk from Akira. She didn't need Rachel joining in too. Worse, she could practically feel the smugness coming from her passenger.

Rachel couldn't help but smirk at Max's fluster as she heard her shuffling around a bit more before the door opened to reveal a red-faced Max wrapped in a blanket. Her hair still wet from her shower with her black ears poking up with little droplets of water clinging to the fur.

Inviting Rachel in and shutting the door, Max hobbled over to the bed clutching the blanket around her. "You have no idea how much of a pain it is to find clothes to accommodate these tails."

"Oh, I dunno, can't really complain from where I'm standing," Rachel mused as she watched the other girl hobble across the bedroom, the blanket not quite covering as much as Max hoped it would.

"Whaddya mean…? Oh, crap," Max fumbled as she struggled to get her tails along with her exposed backside back under the blanket.

"Honestly, don't sweat it, it's no big deal," Rachel reassured the blushing Ahri. There would be time for playfulness later. Right now, she had something she wanted to say, but it was a sensitive topic.

Now covered up properly, Max could ask why the blonde was here. There must be a reason. "What's up?"

Sighing softly, Rachel began her apology. "Max… I'm sorry for running out like that…"

Max waved her off. "It's fine, you don't have to act tough, Rachel. You just learned your dad is… dead. It might have happened five years ago, but it's still a rough thing to find out. If anyone should be sorry..."

The response was predictable, much too predictable. "No… nope. You have NOTHING to be sorry for, Max. I mean, jesus, no one should have to go through what you've been through, or what the other Ahri are having to go through, Yeah, it sucks… REALLY, REALLY sucks what happened to my dad, but at least I now know WHY and HOW. He was doing his job, more than that, he was helping his friends."

Max considered the reply for a moment or two, having heard it before. "I keep hearing that… That it's not my fault, that being an Ahri is something to be proud of… I'm still failing to see it."

"Well, hopefully you'll let it sink in." Eager to change the subject and cause some embarrassment, Rachel turned her attention to other matters. "And for the record, those ears are really cute… even more so when you blush like that."

The young Ahri groaned from the external attempt to cause chaos. "Oh god, not you too. I get enough of that from Akira."

' _Because it's true_ ,' Akira added smugly, unable to keep the grin from her voice.

"Hush you… sorry, Rachel. Not you. Someone's finally decided to make an appearance." Max tapped the side of her head with her finger.

"Sounds like we would get on well."

Max didn't doubt that. "If I don't get killed first, I'll probably die from embarrassment."

"I'll take that challenge." The blonde hunter grinned.

Just then, Chloe entered the room. Seeing a very red-faced Max and Rachel wearing a shit eating grin, she rolled her eyes. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you're embarrassing someone. Sorry, Max, she can be a bit of a handful at times."

"I don't hear you complaining. Anyway, I was just about to go shower," and with that Rachel went to leave giving Chloe a cheeky grin. "Be careful, though. I got plenty of dirt on you, like a certain party where someone thought it would be fun to use some Haribo mix as a..."

"Ok, ok... go have your shower," Chloe interrupted hastily, shoving Rachel out the door before she could finish.

"Haribo mix?" Max asked, equal parts curious and worried.

"Eh, not one of my finer moments," Chloe responded as she walked over and sat on the bed. "How are you holding up, anyway?"

Sitting next to Chloe, Max shrugged and let out a sigh. "Well, I got an earful off Joyce when I tried to leave."

Chloe took a moment to process the confession, sounding confused and a little hurt. "You did what?"

Immediately regretting telling her friend, Max began justifying herself. "I didn't… Don't want to, but it feels like I have no choice. Everywhere I go, people die. I just feel so… powerless. I just wish I could, ya know, make a difference, do something positive."

"Max, you already have made a difference. I get my best friend back and she's also supersized. I ended up being this," Chloe motioned to herself, "you helped Rachel by telling her about her father, and… you helped me realize something."

"Oh?"

Gathering her thoughts, Chloe sighed and explained. "You see, I was so wrapped up in all the crap I was feeling, I didn't stop to think… that there's always going to be someone who has it harder. My list of problems is much shorter than those of the other people in this house… or the other Ahri for that matter."

Seeing a chance to cut in, Akira added, ' _She's got a point, you know_.'

' _So, what you're saying is I should just forget the shit I've gone through_ ,' Max summarized, disbelief clear in her reply.

Expecting her to get the wrong end of the stick, Akira corrected her. ' _Not at all, Max. Chloe's figured it out. You need to do the same_.'

Unaware of Max's little side conversation, Chloe continued. "I lost my dad, and while that hurt, I got to bury him and say goodbye. Then you, Vanessa and Ryan up and vanished. I felt abandoned." Holding her hand up to silence the young Ahri's objection, Chloe plowed on. "I know you didn't have a choice. You were running for your life I get that, but even without knowing that, I never thought how my mom felt losing all her childhood friends, having to keep that secret… Ya know, she actually has a framed photo of me and you as kids. She keeps on her bedside… I've caught her crying over it late at night when she thinks I'm not around… Then, there's Rachel. Had her mom die in her arms and her dad disappeared the same night. Point is, my crap was what normal people go through every day all over the world."

As much as Max might want to agree, she just couldn't. "Chloe, it's not quite the same. Just being NEAR me, even when hidden, almost got you killed..."

Not like she could really argue with that. "True, but I didn't die, and I came out stronger… Ok, trying not to see my friends as dinner is gonna get a little annoying, but I'll deal with it. Because of you, I have the strength to carry on, Max. I've got the strength to protect my friends and my mom… And seeing as you're NEARLY as strong as me..." Chloe let the sentence hang, smirking.

' _That sounds like a challenge_ ,' Akira added, happy to watch the smirk wiped off the bluenette's face if the situation called for it.

"Um, Chloe, I sorta kicked your butt earlier," Max mentioned, trying not to sound too pleased with herself. As kids, she hadn't stood a chance against Chloe. Now, the tables had turned.

Chloe waved her facts away like she was swatting at a fly. "Psht, I let you."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Oh, REALLY?"

The familiar, mischievous grin reserved for scheming tugged at Chloe's lips. "Well, guess we'll find out tomorrow. I just had a killer idea for what we can do."

"Chloe, we have school tomorrow remember." That might not actually deter the bluenette, and Max was well aware. She had to try, though.

The smirk only widened as she continued her pitch. "Ha, no chance, Caulfield, besides… TECHNICALLY, we will still be doing school work."

Deciding to humor her, Max sighed and pressed for more information. "Define technically."

"Well, that project for Jefferson's class, it's basically you," Chloe stated matter-of-factly.

Max rolled her eyes, not enthused about the possibility. "Great, I'm a school project."

Determined to get a solid yes from Max eventually, Chloe continued trying to wear her down. "Damn right you are. You're our ticket to acing this one. And Akira of course. Not forgotten about her."

Eager to tease the young Ahri a little, Akira decided to be difficult. _'I think I have a prior engagement_.'

Seeing right through her plan, Max called her out. ' _Bullshit you do. You're helping. You pushed me to come back to Arcadia, you get to help._ '

' _Fine… I'll cancel my hair appointment_ ,' Akira conceded, pulling back on her teasing. She could sense Max was tired and so not ready to deal with this.

Realizing she was fighting a losing battle for now, Chloe gave up. She'd have another go tomorrow. "Anyhow, that's tomorrow. For now, sleep is calling… gotta feel sorry for Kate in all this, though. She ain't got Alice so no filter."

"She did look uncomfortable before I came up here," Max agreed, looking guilty as hell. She was, after all, mostly to blame.

Chloe just shrugged, feeling about as responsible for this as Max looked. "Usually it's just mine or Victoria's bullshit she has to deal with, but Rachel's around to cancel it out. Only today, it's been bullshit at a very high level from everyone, and with no off switch… she ain't gonna be sleeping well, despite the front she puts on."

"I kinda feel guilty at least in part for that…" Max rubbed the back of her neck. "Could try happy thoughts, I guess."

 _'Ya know… there is something you can do for her, but there's a price_ ,' Akira began, knowing that the young Ahri would probably go along with this plan.

' _I'm listening_.'

' _Those Auralite stones, they're a focusing lens if you will, allowing you to remain human and for vampires to shrug off the effects of sunlight,_ ' Akira explained, summarizing the things she had already told Max, just in case.

It seemed that she didn't have to, Max remembering the conversation. ' _Yeah, you explained that already_.'

Happy to know that she hadn't forgotten already, Akira continued. ' _Well, they also affect other abilities too, either magnifying or focusing the effect_.'

 _'I don't think Kate would appreciate having her ability magnified_.'

' _With your little... cling on's ability, it would be the off switch Chloe mentioned, unless she really tried to focus on a particular person_ ,' Akira added as an afterthought.

' _You mean, she wouldn't get hit with my… our emotional bullshit?_ ' There was a flicker of hope in her question.

' _Downside is, you only have one, which means_...' There was no need for Akira to continue the sentence.

' _Wolf form tonight?_ ' Max finished the thought for her.

' _Exactly. Not that I think she will complain, seems all too eager to get_ -'

Before she could end that comment, Max cut in. ' _Ugh, will you EVER quit it? Had enough of that last night_...'

' _You don't think she's cute?_ ' Akira asked, already knowing the answer. She just wanted Max to admit it to herself.

' _A little_ …' Max could sense the amusement radiating from Akira's presence. ' _SHUSH, back to your corner_.'

 _'Just saying… there are options._ ' Ignoring Akira's insinuations, and hoping the blush she could feel wasn't too apparent, Max carefully took the purple stone from around her neck, with Chloe paying close attention.

 _"Max_?"

Fiddling with the necklace, Max looked her friend straight in the eyes. "Can you do me a favor, Chloe? Give this to Kate for me."

Chloe seemed confused by the request. "Huh, but you need it."

"It's only for the night, Chloe. I don't need to be human to sleep. I have it on good authority it will act as an off switch for Kate," she explained, trying to help Chloe understand why she was doing this.

She slowly came to the same conclusion as Max. "You mean on her ability?"

Max nodded. "Apparently so. This way, she can get a decent night sleep. Besides I won't need a blanket then."

"Well, I can't see Kate complaining on either count," Chloe added with a smug grin, crossing her arms.

Max frowned, genuinely confused at what she was getting at. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh Maxipad, how little you know," Chloe chuckled to herself. Max had always been a bit dense when it came to this kind of thing.

Finally getting what her friend was trying to suggest, Max rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I HATED that name when we were tweens. I still do, and also… Not you too… why is everyone trying to...?"

"Make you blush? Because you look hella cute when you do, always have… Although, that werewolf story was… huh?" Before Chloe could finish, Max shoved the purple stone into her hands and quickly pulled the blanket over her head, emerging a few seconds later in her jet-black wolf form. "See, now I can't tell if your blushing. I could always ask Kate, though." Max let out a small growl, turning the orb on her tail into its solid black state. Chloe let out a chuckle, raising her hands. "Ok, ok, I'll hold off… for now, but don't think you're staying in that little shell of yours forever."

Not one to miss out on a chance to challenge Max, Akira joined in. ' _She has a point._ '

Too exhausted to deal with this now, Max weakly replied, ' _Great, now I got it in stereo. I swear you guys are in cahoots._ '

' _I like your new, old friends_.'

Letting her orb settle back to its blue state, Max followed Chloe out of the room and headed downstairs. Approaching the dimly lit living room, Kate could be seen still huddled in the corner of the sofa under the blanket. "Hey guys, thought you'd be asleep by now." She greeted the pair wearily, not bothering to open her eyes as she fought with her pounding head.

"Just about to head off, but I… Max has something for you," Chloe replied gently as she approached the sofa, holding the necklace by its leather string.

Kate opened her eyes to look up at Chloe, instantly spotting the purple stone. "But that's Max's..."

Beating her to it, Chloe confirmed her suspicions. "Yeah, she wants to loan it to you tonight. Apparently, it's an off switch for your ability."

"But Max needs that to stay human," Kate stated with surprising stubbornness.

"She says she's only sleeping, so she doesn't need it tonight." As if on cue Max appeared at Chloe's side, giving Kate a little nod before clambering up on the sofa and curling up in the opposite corner. Taking the necklace off Chloe, Kate slipped it over her head. Almost instantly her head went silent, eliciting a sigh of relief from the young empath. "Better?"

"I SO have to get me one of these, thank you, Max… I had forgotten what peace and quiet was." Sitting up and looking over at Max, Kate hesitated for a moment before noticing a lopsided grin on Chloe's face.

"She's ok with it, you know. Personally, I think she likes it a little more than she's willing to admit." Max shot Chloe a look, one she instantly took heed of, and started making her way to the hallway. "Err, I'm gonna head to bed, before I annoy someone. Sleep well guys, see you in the morning."

Kate couldn't help feeling a little happy hearing this as she scooched herself over, nestling into Max's warm fur. "Thank you, Max. I really mean that," she mumbled sleepily as her eyelids began to close.

 _'You're welcome, Kate_ ,' Max felt a little better knowing she'd actually helped someone.

' _See, you can help people,_ ' Akira mentioned, trying to get Max out of this slump.

' _It's not much, but it's a start I guess_ ,' Max reluctantly admitted.

Upon hearing Kate's gentle snoring, Akira gave a small chuckle. ' _Small steps, Max. Small steps… You gotta admit, that's pretty cute._ '

Max rolled her eyes and, too tired to argue, simply covered the sleeping empath with her tails and let her eyes close. _'Goodnight, Akira._ '

Meanwhile upstairs, Rachel and Chloe were sat on the bed, discussing the events of tonight. "So, Max's necklace switches off Kate's ability, and they're downstairs on the sofa together."

"Pretty much. It's only 'til the morning, though…" Something hit Chloe then, a realization she was all too happy to share. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Nope, not at all." Rachel didn't want to admit she did feel a little jealous, but also intrigued that Kate and Max were cute huddled on the sofa. With a cheeky grin, she leaped off the bed, grabbed her phone and made for the door.

"Where are you going?" Chloe called after her, confused.

"Kate's early warning system is offline. So, I'm taking the opportunity to get some… embarrassment material." Rachel smiled waving her phone in the air as she disappeared out the door.

Quietly descending the stairs, Rachel made her way to end of the hallway. The living room was dimly lit by the glowing orb. Max laid on her side cradling a snoring Kate, with one of her tails covering most of the blonde, the blanket from earlier discarded to the floor. Smiling to herself, Rachel snapped a quick picture and quickly retreated back upstairs into Chloe's bedroom.

"Mission accomplished." The hunter grinned, tossing Chloe the phone.

Catching the phone and taking a look at Rachel's ill-gotten gains, Chloe couldn't help but smile a little. "They do look just a little bit cute."

"I thought so. Can you imagine Kate's face when she sees that tomorrow? Second night in a row she's been sleeping with the new girl… And a wolf to boot." Rachel grinned playfully as she climbed into bed next to Chloe.

Rachel was playing a dangerous game here and Chloe thought it best to give her some warning at least, so she couldn't get blamed later. "Fair warning, if Kate doesn't hit you for it, Max probably will."

"Kate knows I'm only playing. Besides, they both need to get out of their comfort zones a little," Rachel said as she got comfortable snuggled up to Chloe.

"Yeah, I guess." Chloe had always been highly protective of Max, that much hadn't changed. "Just… go easy on Max, at least for a little while. She's shyer than Kate."

Rachel grinned at the concern, knowing damn well that Chloe cared for Max. Maybe as more than a friend. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle... You gotta admit, Max does look cute with those ears, more so when she blushes."

"I cannot deny nor confirm this…" Chloe replied noncommittally, not taking the bait. "Night, Rach."

"Night, Chloe…" Before she could drift off to sleep, Rachel had one last thing to say. "Oh, no nibbling."

Shaking her head, Chloe smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it."


	20. Well Well Wells

** Well Well Wells **  
  
_**Charging towards the village, she burst into her wolf form letting loose a deep threatening growl as a clash of lightening lit up the night sky and heavy raindrop began pelting the ground. She could feel the hatred consume her as she entered the village square, unable to stop herself, she watched as she ripped the throat out of the first person she came across with her teeth, with every intention of ripping all those around her to shreds. Nobody would escape. The blood-curdling screams that followed, from men, women… children, echoed hauntingly in her head as she screamed internally to stop. Sharp claws tore into material and flesh indiscriminately, teeth snapping like a bear trap crushing bones. A metallic taste permeated her taste buds as the carnage ensued.** _  
  
_**Some tried to stop her, pelting her with stones and arming themselves with sticks, not that it saved them. Others ran, but they just weren't fast enough. Some begged for life, their pleas emphatically ignored. All Max could do was sob internally as she watched, powerless as each person was cut down by her own hand.** _  
  
_**Realizing that she was not going to surrender or be taken down easily, people shifted to beasts, werewolves. Only some of the village were truly human, the ones she had already dealt with. Faces morphed, fur sprouting, eyes becoming more predatory, teeth elongating and claws extending. The muscled beasts snarled threatening, murderous intent in their eyes. They lunged at her, jaws snapping and claws scratching. What she lacked in brute force she more than made up for with her speed and her orb.** _  
  
_**She was outnumbered, battered and bruised, blood oozing out of several wounds where tooth and claw met with her fur, staining it, but that didn't matter. Bloodlust had taken over now, making the 'impossible' irrelevant.** _  
  
_**Soon, the cries gave way to eerie silence. Not a single sound in the aftermath say for the pelting rain. The village was in ruins, she stood alone in the centre, surrounded by mangled bloodied bodies, The red blood being washed away by the rain and seeping into the ground around her, she looked down at her paws, the sight of the blood sticking to fur and claws, the countless bodies lying lifeless around her, made her feel sick to her stomach. Why had she done this? So much death at her own hand. She couldn't process it, it was way too much, the guilt crushed her like a weight as everything faded to black.** _  
  
_**Her eyes opened once more, met with almost complete dark save for the light of a couple of flickering candles circling her. It took a good few moments to adjust to the drastic shift in lighting, Infront of her a pair of brown eyes shifted to a deep crimson red, the stuff of countless horror films and nightmares. The firm grip of another person holding her fast, a second of pain as she felt a pair of needle-sharp fangs pierced her neck. She could feel her blood being drained, her life force slowly ebbing away. She tried to fight it, to call for help, but her body refused to obey. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want to die, wasn't ready. She pleaded for someone, anyone to help her, but her voice was silent. Her body struggled to remain active, mind flashing with images from her past, Chloe, Rachel, Kate, Joyce, her** _ **mom** _**, and dad. All she could do was watch them flicker like a film before her eyes. Each breath becoming weaker, her body growing cold as her vision became hazy, with a final slow exhalation, she felt the darkness claim her.** _  

* * *

Max shot upright gasping heavily, her skin clammy from sweat. As the room around her came into focus, the patio doors let the morning light dance into the living room. The sound of someone pottering about in the kitchen filled the air along with the moreish smell of fresh pancakes.  
  
"Morning, Max... Sleep ok?" Joyce's voice came as the older woman poked her head around the corner, giving the young Ahri a gentle smile.  
  
"Not bad..." Max stopped looking down at herself in surprise to see she was human. Instinctively putting her hand to her neck, she found her necklace hanging there. She was covered in a light brown blanket. On the floor next to her, her clothes were neatly folded well within arms reach. She looked over at Joyce with a frown.  
  
"Kate said to say thank you and she would see you at school later. She had a few things to take care of. I don't think she's slept that well in a long time, she looked really refreshed," Joyce offered, seeing the young Ahri's confusion she carried on, "She put the necklace on you this morning. You really are a heavy sleeper, glad to see somethings don't change."  
  
"I wish she woulda woke me," Max muttered as she started shuffling around under the blanket to get dressed.  
  
"You mean so you didn't have to go through whatever it was you were going through?" Joyce questioned tilting her head slightly to one side.  
  
As much as she tried to make sense of the weird dream's, she just couldn't. "You heard that, huh?"  
  
"Bits of it. Mostly asking to stop... you wanna talk about it?"  
  
Finishing buttoning up her shirt and making her way to the kitchen to raid the coffee pot, Max rubbed the side of her head with a frown, "Not sure what to say really, both dreams are... disturbing, scary I guess. In one, I'm killing everyone around me. I try to stop... but I either can't or..."  
  
"Or?" Joyce pressed lightly.  
  
Swallowing hard as she remembered the emotions she had felt during the dream. Rage didn't even cover it. She had wanted to see everyone ripped to shreds, no mercy. "Or I don't want to stop."  
  
Joyce was quiet for a time, focusing on cooking as she gathered her thoughts. "I see... and the other one?"  
  
The second dream had been just as scary. "It's kinda the reverse. I'm... being killed. The same way my mom was."  
  
Joyce thought for a moment while she tended to the stove. Bad dreams were to be expected, especially after what Max had been through. Letting out a sigh, she began piling some pancakes onto a plate. "Well, the second one is easy, Max. It's how you saw your mom go, and its playing on your biggest fear. And the first one sounds eerily familiar to what you said last night. About death and destruction," she offered as Max made her way to the table with her coffee.  
  
"Maybe... They just seem to be getting more and more vivid, I could actually smell the blood in the air, and the dying bit..." she shuddered as she recalled the sensation of death, "Felt so real."  
  
"It's as real as you let it become, I guess. These, however, are VERY real." Joyce signaled to the plate of pancakes in her hand as she placed them in front of Max with a smile. "There no mountain lion, but they should fill a hole."  
  
Max eyed the plate of pancakes dripping in syrup as her stomach let loose an agreeable rumble. Eagerly, she cut a large chunk of the tasty breakfast, hungrily shoving it in her mouth and letting herself slouch backwards letting out a satisfied sigh as she chewed and swallowed. "Better than I remember," she commented as she got another forkful. "Where's Chloe and Rachel?"  
  
Sitting opposite the young Ahri, Joyce cut into her own food. "Rachel left with Kate this morning. I heard Chloe getting home as I woke up... Guess I'm gonna have to get used to seeing less of her now, but at least I get to see her." She smiled as she began eating her own food.  
  
Washing the last of her pancakes down with a mouthful of coffee, Max leaned back in her chair patting her full stomach. "I am NEVER leaving this table." She smirked at the older woman.  
  
Joyce gave a nod, "Good, you can clean," pointing to the mixing bowl and pan in the sink.  
  
Following Joyce's direction, Max groaned internally and then looked at the clock on the wall. "I'd love to Joyce, but I really have to get going, or I'll be late for school." Getting up from the table, she offered an apologetic smile.  
  
Joyce gave her a mock scowl. "You get out of it this time, Miss Caulfield," she shot with a playful smile.  
  
"I'll do the dinner dishes tonight," Max promised as she quickly slipped on a pair of Rachel's trainers, finding them a better fit than Chloe's boots.  
  
"Who says I'm cooking tonight?" Joyce commented, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair trying her best to keep a straight face.  
  
Max raised an eyebrow at the older woman. It was a known fact Joyce would use any excuse to cook a decent meal, "Well, I got no issue finding some FAST food... in the literal sense, of course." Max shrugged playfully. How she had missed playing about like this. Sure, she had Akira, but she wasn't always around, and when she was, she was usually badgering her about coming back to Arcadia or trying to embarrass her.  
  
"Fine, I'll cook," Joyce conceded shooting Max a playful smile, "but I ain't telling you what it is."  
  
"Deal, I like surprises," Max agreed as she used her illusion to change back into her former Sophie self.  
  
Joyce let out a slightly depressed sigh as she got up and stepped towards the now blonde girl, "I can't wait till you don't have to use that to hide anymore," wrapping her arms around Max.  
  
"You're not the only one," Max replied reciprocating the hug. "As much as I complain about them, I'm rather attached to my tails... And it would make getting to school easier."  
  
"I'll need to know who's here for dinner tonight. You and Chloe are a given, I'm assuming," Joyce theorized.  
  
"I'll see what Kate and Rachel say..." Max allowed herself a smile at Joyce's overeager hospitality. "Might wanna be careful though. Keep offering up food and lodging, you might end up with three permanent lodgers."  
  
Joyce thought it over for a moment, seeming quite taken with the idea. "Ya know... I don't think I would actually mind. Rachel is nearly always here when Chloe's here anyway... It might be nice to have a houseful again."  
  
Max nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to have a home, a family again."  
  
"You always did, Max," Joyce mentioned with a warm smile. "That never changed, and it never will. This always has, and always will be your home."  
  
"I know. It's just... gonna take some getting used to." Glancing at the clock, Max let out a groan, "I really have to dash... I so wish I could just wolf it there." She grinned, giving Joyce a final squeeze before heading to the door.  
  
"One day, Max, and hopefully soon." Joyce smiled. "Have a good day, give the others my best."  
  
"I will and I will," Max acknowledged, giving Joyce a quick wave as she dashed out the door for school.

* * *

**Blackwell Academy**

Rachel and Kate had gone on ahead of Max, already at Blackwell by this point getting ready for their morning classes  
  
"So, you slept well, I assume." Rachel smiled playfully as she rooted through her locker, looking for the book she needed for her next class.  
  
Kate could feel a light flush in her cheeks, knowing full well what the young hunter was getting at. "I slept very well, thank you," she replied as she leaned far too much into her own locker to make sure she couldn't see her face.  
  
"I'm not sure how Alice is going to take the news that she's been replaced," Rachel teased, enjoying every second.  
  
"Ugh, you're like a dog with a bone," Kate groaned in response.  
  
Smirking, Rachel reveled in the chaos she was creating. "Oh, I've got more than a bone."  
  
"Dare I ask?" Kate started, sounding equal parts worried and curious about the answer.  
  
Before Rachel could answer Kate felt herself get pushed into her locker more so than she already was, along with stifled laughter from several males behind her, "damn freaks," a male voice jeered.  
  
Slamming her locker shut, Rachel spun around glaring at Kate's tormenter. She narrowed her eyes on one Logan Robertson. "You got a problem with Kate, asshole?" she snapped.  
  
"Oh look, it's the freak's girlfriend. Why not head back to that pathetic guild of yours?" Logan retorted, giving Zachery who stood next to him a high five while they snickered.  
  
Putting herself between Kate and Logan, Rachel looked up at the taller lad placing her hand on the handle of her sheathed sword, a warning. "Back off, Logan" she snapped.  
  
"Or your gonna what, BLONDIE?" he taunted getting in Rachel's face, towering over the shorter girl.  
  
"MR ROBERTSON!" a deep voice boomed from down the hallway.  
  
Backing off from Rachel, Logan looked down the hall towards the voice, a flicker of panic in his eyes as he saw a tall, dark, bold man marching down the corridor towards him. "Principle Wells," he stammered.  
  
Rachel couldn't help but smirk as she quickly withdrew her hand from her sword, thankful it was obscured to the principle by Kate's open locker door.  
  
Stopping in front of the two girls and small group of lads, some of which had already made tracks towards their class, he took in the situation with an accusatory glance before returning his focus to Logan. "You wouldn't be harassing other students now would you, Mr. Robertson?"  
  
"She started it, sir, ask anyone," Logan responded signaling Zachery who was stood nearby  
  
"Bullshit, he started it by shoving Kate into her locker and calling her a freak," Rachel countered defensively.  
  
Principle Wells' eyes shifted from Logan to Kate and then to the young hunter before settling on Zachery. "Well?" he questioned. "Bear in mind if you're caught defending a bully, I'll have no choice but to put you in for a referral to the school board. It would be... a real shame if your scholarship were to be... jeopardized over something like this."  
  
"Err, I dunno. I wasn't paying attention, sorry man," Zachery replied sheepishly as he began making a hasty retreat to class.  
  
"Pussy," Logan muttered under his breath.  
  
Turning his attention back to Logan, Principal Wells narrowed his eyes at the jock. "You, my office now, where we will discuss the conditions of your continued education at this school," he said sternly, pointing towards his office.  
  
Logan looked like he was going to protest but seemed to decide against it and stormed off towards the office with his shoulders hunched, several of the students muttering as he passed them by. "Dude, I didn't think he was in today"..."I didn't see his car in the parking lot"..."No way, Logan in the Principal's office."  
  
Turning back to Rachel and Kate, the principal took a breath before speaking again. "You two come with me. I'd like a word with you, in private," he scowled before briskly walking down the corridor.  
  
Rachel groaned internally. Perhaps the locker door didn't obscure as much as she thought it had. Threatening a student with a weapon, even if just self-defence was a sure-fire way to lose her scholarship. At the very least it would be a black mark against her otherwise spotless record, surprising considering she hung with Chloe 95% of the time and that girl was a trouble magnet.  
  
Following the principal as he led the girls down the corridor towards the cafeteria, Rachel noticed that Kate was looking a little nervous, giving her friend a gentle nudge she smiled reassuringly. Kate offered up a weak smile before returning her attention to the small bracelet on her wrist.  
  
Entering the cafeteria Principal Wells stopped giving the place a once over before turning to the two girls, his gaze resting on the young hunter, completely unreadable. "So, Miss Amber, would you mind telling me what exactly it was you were planning on doing to Mr. Robertson with that sword of yours?" he barked in a low voice.  
  
'Shit, he saw,' Rachel thought, realizing she might be in big trouble. "Sorry sir, I wasn't going to use it. He was harassing my friend," Rachel pleaded glancing at Kate and suddenly frowning as she appeared to be stifling a giggle. Looking back to the principal, her frown deepened further as she saw a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips.  
  
"I'd have probably put him through a locker myself," he chuckled, his voice becoming much softer and breaking into a full-on giggle.  
  
Rachel watched completely dumbstruck as Principal Ray Wells shrank, his skin becoming lighter as blonde hair sprouted from his head. In a short few seconds, Ray Wells had turned into Sophie, who was clutching her sides in hysterics. Kate was almost crying with laughter.  
  
Snapping her head to check down the corridor to make sure no one was coming, Rachel turned to the giggling blonde, wrapping her in a bear hug. "You bitch, that was AMAZING. You got me hook line and sinker," she joined in laughing and turned to Kate, "You knew."  
  
Catching her breath, Kate nodded. "Of course, I knew the second she came up to us. Why do you think I didn't say anything…? Although, much longer and I think I might have given away the game."  
  
"That's gonna cause a bit of confusion at the office," Rachel chuckled, just imagining the scene play out in her head.  
  
"Oh, that's right. The principal isn't in today... I think it's a fishing trip if I recall," Kate thought aloud, her smile widening as she realized the full situation.  
  
Max shrugged, looking very proud of herself. "Well, there never gonna find out. No one here knows what I am, except you two and Chloe."  
  
"Err, Victoria might know, if she's started the assignment anyways," Rachel swiftly corrected.  
  
Kate shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. "Who cares? She should get a medal. That performance was exemplary, might have even fooled me... If I couldn't read her from a mile away."  
  
"You can thank Akira for that," Max admitted, not being able to take full credit. "She really knows her stuff."  
  
"Did you see the look on Logan and Zach's face? They were mortified," Rachel chuckled, finding the whole situation hilarious.  
  
Akira cut in here. ' _I'll take that credit, but it was your idea and quick thinking. Honestly, I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off._ '  
  
' _And I'll take that as a compliment_ ,' Max thought back, happy that she and Akira were on the same page for once.  
  
"Now, I can only imagine the kind of trouble our parents caused if you're anything to go by," Rachel mused as she put an arm around each girl, leading them out the cafeteria and heading for their class.  
  
"What's the first lesson today then?" Kate asked, not having the time to check in all the confusion of last night.  
  
"Double science, Ms. Grant," Rachel replied as they continued down the hallway.  
  
Max let out an audible groan. "I suck at science."  
  
Rachel nodded sympathetically. "So do I, but I have a secret weapon. Well, two actually."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"She means me and Chloe," Kate explained, answering the unspoken question. Don't worry, we've got your back."  
  
"But Chloe's still in bed," Max observed. She would like to put it down to her new vampire side, but the bluenette had always been impossible to wake in the morning.  
  
"And Chloe misses about two-thirds of her science classes yet has a 4.0 GPA in that class alone," Rachel added, sounding impressed. "I'm telling you, that girl would be very dangerous if she ever turned her hand to true chaos."  
  
"Don't worry, Ma…" Kate stopped herself, clearing her throat, "Sophie, Chloe has Science covered, Rachel has Math covered and I have English down."  
  
"And I have drama," Max mumbled, not being able to think of what she could bring to this seemingly perfect study group.  
  
' _Ahem, enter the personal history teacher right here,_ ' Akira eagerly interrupted. ' _Not to mention this term you pretty much have your History of the Races project in the bag, seeing as it's... well, you, or should I say us_.'  
  
' _You offering help... what's the catch?_ ' Max asked suspiciously. She'd been around Akira long enough to know how this game was played.  
  
' _You wound me_.'  
  
Max didn't buy the innocent act. She had fallen for it before but not anymore. _'I know you... maybe not as well as I'd like, but well enough_.'  
  
' _Well, now you mention it_ …' Akira began, getting cut off by Rachel seconds later.  
  
"That's not true, Sophie," Rachel voiced unaware of Akira's bribery of Max, "For a start, you're our Ace in the hole on this project... Oooh, Chloe's gonna be pissed she missed out on the fun today."  
  
"Funny you should mention the project, someone else just said exactly the same thing," Max replied tapping the side of her head with a small grin. "Also, apparently history is gonna be my forte... Although there's a catch that I'm still waiting to hear."  
  
' _It's simple, maybe a little out of your comfort zone, but_ …' Akira left the demand unfinished, trying to get the girl's unwavering attention.  
  
Taking the bait, Max prompted her. ' _Spill it_.'  
  
' _Ok, ok, well, Chloe had an idea last night, didn't she_ ,' Akira stated, getting ready for some resistance.  
  
The tone Akira was using tipped Max off immediately. ' _Uh-oh, I don't like where you're going with this_ …'  
  
Wanting to finish the idea before it was shot down completely, Akira pressed forward. _'Just hear her out, and give it a try. You deserve to let loose a little_.'  
  
' _Not at the expense of my friends. If I know Chloe, it's probably something involving me as... well, ME_.'  
  
' _I'm sure she wouldn't suggest anything that would arouse suspicion. Besides, don't you think it would be funny to wipe that smugness off her face... all those times she won against you in the past?_ ' Akira coaxed, trying to encourage her competitive streak.  
  
Max thought about it for a moment, a small smile creeping on her face. "Rach, any idea what Chloe has planned for later on today?" she asked questioningly.  
  
"No idea, she didn't mention anything to me… why?" Rachel shrugged, very curious.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just thought you might know." Turning her attention back to Akira, she decided to go with the crazy idea. _'You got a deal, PROVIDING its nothing too outlandish, no sense blowing my cover_.'  
  
' _Deal,_ ' Akira agreed. The young Ahri needed to blow off some steam, and Chloe came across as just the right kind of catalyst for the situation.  
  
Entering Ms. Grant's class, the three girls quickly found themselves a desk where all three could sit together, Max and Rachel sitting either side of Kate so she could help both out if they needed it.

* * *

During their lunch, both Kate and Rachel had eagerly accepted Joyce's dinner invitation but had declined staying the night again to give Max and Chloe time to catch up. They did, after all, have a five-year gap to fill. Entering Mr. Jefferson's classroom, the girls noted that very few people had turned up. In fact, other than themselves only Taylor and Courtney were present, busy chatting among themselves.  
  
Taking their seats, the three girls set about getting their pads out and started making notes for their project, drawing on what Max had already told them the night previous, and what they had seen so far. Max caught sight of Kate, who was busy doing some sketches that closely resembled Max in both her Ahri and wolf forms.  
  
"They're pretty good, Kate," Max mentioned approvingly.  
  
Kate gave her an appreciative yet shy smile, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks, they're only quick sketches, though."  
  
"You should see the other half of her book. It's filled with pictures of Alice," Rachel added with a smirk.  
  
"So?" Max shrugged unaware of the blush entering the young empath's cheeks.  
  
"It's not all just Alice... I just draw what I like," Kate corrected while putting the finishing touches to the sketch she was working on.  
  
' _Guess that means Kate likes you, huh_?' Akira pointed out gleefully.  
  
' _Don't go starting this now. It's too early for that,'_ Max replied, trying not to give her the satisfaction of getting overly flustered.  
  
"Why not try one of how you slept the last two nights?" Rachel suggested as nonchalantly as possible to hide her true intentions.  
  
"Bit difficult when I can't see it," Kate mumbled, instantly regretting taking Rachel's bait as she felt the young hunter emitting a wave of mischief.  
  
"You could just imagine it," Max encouraged, as she continued to scribble down notes, not taking her eyes off her own pad.  
  
"One word, Kate… BONE," Rachel teased as she tapped on her phone a few times.  
  
Max frowned, looking up at the young hunter who was wearing a big smirk, her eyes fixed on Kate. Rolling her eyes and picking up her phone, Kate saw she had a message from Rachel and quickly checked it.  
  
**Rachel - BONE**  
  
Under it was a picture of herself wrapped in Max's tail's, curled up on the sofa asleep. She could feel the blush in her cheeks as she stared at the picture.  
  
"That's a nice picture," Max observed, admiring the picture on Kate's phone.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"What's wrong, Kate? You don't like it" Rachel queried, genuinely curious.  
  
"It's nice," she mumbled putting the phone down as she started doodling again.  
  
Seeing an opportunity arise to start some embarrassment, Akira took it. ' _I can see why she took that picture_.'  
  
' _Oh_ …'  
  
Giving her a mental nudge in place of a physical one, Akira continued. ' _Come on, you can't tell me that's not just a little bit cute_.'  
  
Max rubbed her temples, wishing that she could switch Akira's smartass comments off. ' _Ugh, I might have guessed, so glad you're only in my head_.'  
  
' _If I wasn't, you'd be redder than your shirt… or Kate for that matter_ ,' the elder Ahri mentioned, knowing that Max would just have to look now.  
  
Ignoring Akira's goading, Max turned her attention back to the drawings feeling a smile tug at her lips. Kate wanting to draw her and take pictures was quite flattering really. She didn't mind in the slightest. It was almost enough to distract her from the possibly dangerous idea Chloe wanted them all the follow through later. Almost.

* * *

 **After Class**  
  
The end of class came soon enough, everyone packing up and escaping to temporary freedom. Rachel had sent Max and Kate on ahead to meet up with Chloe. She had something to attend to first, or someone more specifically. It didn't take long for her to track down who she was looking for. Victoria Chase.  
  
Rachel approached her, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Ah, Victoria. Just the girl I wanted to see."  
  
Frowning at the unexpected contact, Victoria gave her a questioning look. "What do you want?"  
  
"Remember that thing we talked about with Chloe? Making sure she was fed so she didn't try to eat her friends and family?" Rachel reminded with a hint of accusation.  
  
She sighed, rolling her eyes at the questions. "Give me a break, okay. I got… distracted. By Nathan."  
  
Curious to find out what had happened, Rachel pressed for more details. "What did he have to say for himself?"  
  
Victoria gathered her thoughts before replying. "He just wanted to check if Chloe was okay, then it escalated and…." Her sentence trailed off into silence, confliction crossing her features.  
  
"And?" the blonde hunter prompted as she let the other girl go, wanting to know the rest of the story.  
  
With a sigh, Victoria ran her fingers through her hair. "I may have totally kicked his ass."  
  
"Not that I blame you."  
  
Not as convinced, Victoria's expression turned guilty. "I think he was trying to apologize at one point, but… all I saw was red. He's seriously fucked things up for me. Nobody wants to hang around with me anymore and I can see why…"  
  
Rachel shook her head, gently bumping her shoulder. "That's not true. I do. In fact, that leads nicely onto another topic. Want to join my group for Jefferson's project?"  
  
"I've been informed that the group size has a limit," Victoria stated, looking a little confused by the offer.  
  
Feeling sorry for her now, Rachel told her the truth. "Not as far as I've heard. Guess you missed all the explanation when our dear friend 'Sophie' made an appearance."  
  
"Oh, I see…" she looked down at the ground for a moment, disheartened before focusing on Rachel again, "well, in that case, sure why not?"  
  
Giving a trademark charming grins, Rachel lightly punched her arm. "Great, we're actually about to all leave so… hope you're ready."  
  
Victoria glanced back at Blackwell, shrugging. "More or less."  
  
It would be next to impossible to fit all five of them, Chloe, Kate, Max, Rachel, and Victoria, in the truck. At least Victoria had a car. "Unless you fancy giving me a piggyback all the way to where ever it is Chloe has in mind, we should probably take your car. Chloe's truck can only really take two people, three at a squeeze."  
  
That made the blonde vampire smile. "Nice try with the suggestion, but I vote car."  
  
Rachel snapped her fingers. "Damn, I was hoping you'd go with the first one."


	21. Coaxing

**Coaxing**

After making their way from school, the five girls gathered at the junkyard as per Chloe's insistence. Her reasoning, however, she kept to herself. The afternoon sun was already starting to set, throwing the junkyard into a pleasantly shaded area as a warm breeze blew through, the setting perfect for Chloe and Victoria to hang out without any major discomforts.  
  
"So, explain again, how is being in this filthy dump going to help us with our project for Jefferson?" Victoria moaned with an air of revulsion as she stood in the center of the clearing, refusing to join the other three girls who were leaning against an old blue station wagon.  
  
"No idea, but there is usually a method to Chloe's madness. Besides, it's not that bad. A bit of dirt won't bite," the young hunter mused playfully. "Unlike you and Chloe."  
  
"Ha, ha, SO not funny." Victoria narrowed her eyes at the blonde, motioning to her white cashmere. "Do you realize how much this sweater cost? I'm not getting it dirty just for some hair-brained idea, especially one Price has concocted."  
  
"You could just take it off and leave it in the car. I'm guessing you're not too worried about your blouse," Kate suggested as she sat on the bonnet of the beaten station wagon.  
  
Sighing reluctantly, Victoria unbuttoned her sweater. "Be back in a minute."  
  
Kate turned to the other girls, "So, what IS Chloe's big idea?" she asked, half worried and half curious. Chloe's ideas were usually well out of her comfort zone, but she had to admit Chloe and Rach usually looked after her. Nothing bad had happened… yet, but that didn't mean it couldn't.  
  
Rachel shrugged, just as in the dark as they were. "No idea. She's been tight-lipped about it all day... I couldn't even bribe it out of her," she responded, sounding a little putout.  
  
"Dare I ask what the bribe was?" The words came out before Max could even stop herself.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The hunter responded winking with a mischievous grin.  
  
Max noticed that Kate had suddenly turned a light shade of pink, causing the young Ahri to groan, "I don't wanna know."  
  
"You asked."  
  
Before Max could respond, Chloe came out of the small makeshift den carrying two large crates that clinked and clanked as she walked up to them. Placing the crates on the ground next to the old car with a final clink, she looked at the three girls who each looked equally confused.  
  
Rachel was the first to say something. "Err, Chloe?"  
  
"I'll explain in a moment. Where's Torie gone?" Chloe craned her neck to see if she was behind them, just hidden out of view.  
  
"She's just putting her sweater in the car, she doesn't want to ruin it," Kate revealed, explaining the situation."  
  
Chloe shoved her hands into her pocket. "Fair enough. Bit of dirt never hurt anyone, though."  
  
"While that's true, I happen to know what some of your hair brained schemes include. My cashmere is NOT being forfeited just for your kicks," Victoria replied coming back just in time to catch the tail end of the conversation, still skeptical about this idea.  
  
"I wouldn't DREAM of making you offer up your overpriced sweater Torie. Not like you can't afford another half a dozen," Chloe retorted with a lopsided grin.  
  
Victoria rolled her eyes for all to see. "Remind me why we're friends again."  
  
Rachel was on hand with an answer to that query. "Because we're the only ones who'll hang around with you."  
  
"Rachel, that was outta line," Max shot hotly.  
  
"Relax, 'Sophie'," Rachel put a little too much emphasis on the name as if she was trying to subtly blackmail Max into submission. Victoria might not be best pleased to learn Max's true identity, aka the wolf who had nearly bitten her head off during the whole Nathan incident. She would find out eventually, but how was the question, "she knows we're just fucking with her. You think this is the first time Chloe's had a dig at her expensive wardrobe? It's just the way we are," she assured the young Ahri as she waltzed over to Victoria giving her a bear hug.  
  
Swallowing her pride, Victoria withstood the hug instead of trying to resist. "Unfortunately, you're right, Rach... Do you know how hard it is to go from being number one to less than zero...? It's kinda depressing."  
  
"Fuck those other guys, Torie. Besides they don't know how to have fun," Chloe shot as she retrieved an empty bottle from the crate and a small stone from nearby, tossing her the latter.  
  
Catching the small stone, Victoria looked at it and then at the bluenette. "And what's this for?" she asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Chloe offered up a smirk, gently tossing the empty bottle from hand to hand. "Bet you your cashmere you can't hit this," she challenged tossing the empty bottle high into the air away from the group.  
  
Victoria's eye's locked onto the bottle as is hurtled through the air. At the peak of its arc, she quickly flicked the stone towards it. A split second later, her effort was rewarded with the satisfying sound of smashing glass as the stone collided with its target. "I guess my cashmere is safe" she smirked, folding her arms playfully.  
  
Max was thoroughly confused at the reason behind this little, seemingly pointless exercise. "So this is your idea, smashing up a bunch of bottles…? And what does this achieve?"  
  
"I have to agree with Sophie on this one, although it's rather tame compared to what you usually come up with, I don't see the point. Not that I'm necessarily complaining." The last thing Kate wanted was to encourage the bluenette. She sure didn't need that.  
  
"No vision… that's what you guys lack," Chloe sighed, Kate raising her brow questioningly in response. "Fine, here's my thinking. All the other groups are gonna be doing a basic copy and paste off each other. They will all have the same info just in a different order. We, on the other hand…"  
  
"Have a secret weapon." Rachel grinned as she finally caught on to Chloe's way of thinking.  
  
"Exactly," Chloe nodded. "We get to do what no other group can do. A side by side comparison, and a live demonstration to boot".  
  
Victoria frowned. "Err, I guess I'm missing something here. What are you talking about?"  
  
Hoping that this explanation would have come later, much later, Max remained silent while having a mini internal freakout. ' _I knew something like this was coming_ …'  
  
Noticing the apprehension, Akira stepped in. ' _Relax, Maxipad. The chances of him finding out you're HERE are like a million to one. Besides, you need to let loose. Have a little fun_.'  
  
' _Ugh, I HATE that name_.'  
  
' _I won't use it again if you relax a little_ ,' Akira promised, hoping Max would take the bait. _'You're surrounded by friends, you're as safe as you're gonna be.'_  
  
' _It's not me I'm worried about._.." Hesitating for just a second, she corrected herself. ' _Well, ok I am a little, but you know how I feel._ '  
  
' _I do, but you can't live in the shadows, Max. It's not healthy_.' Max's internal discussion was interrupted by Chloe's overdramatic celebration upon hitting her own target provided by Rachel, who was already juggling another bottle in her hands waiting for a signal to throw.  
  
Picking up another small stone, Chloe gently tossed it to Max. "Your turn, Sophie," she challenged, knowing full well Max couldn't throw to save her life. She never could, not that Chloe was interested in Max's stone throwing ability. She would get her childhood friend out of her shell, one way or another.  
  
"You know I can't throw for shit," Max admitted flatly.  
  
"Well, I guess that proves I let you win yesterday," Chloe baited.  
  
Max gritted her teeth slightly at her friend's obvious bait, giving Rachel a firm nod she readied herself. She watched as the young hunter sent another glass bottle hurtling into the air. Biting her lip as she tried her best to line up the shot, she let the stone fly, letting out a depressed groan as she watched the stone miss by a large margin, and the glass bottle hit the dirt with a dull thud.  
  
"Torie, you're up," Chloe said as nonchalantly as possible, a small smile tugging at her lips at the young Ahri's misfortune, tossing the blonde vampire another stone.  
  
"I still don't get it," Victoria started as she hit her bottle just as easily as before. "The project is on the Ahri, and yet here we are, comparing vampires to humans in a stone throwing competition... although, I'm actually having fun for once," she reluctantly admitted.  
  
Hitting her own target as before, Chloe tossed the young Ahri another stone. "You'll see, Torie. This is just a precursor, trust me."  
  
"Last time I trusted you, I woke up with a hangover," Victoria smirked as she again hit her target.  
  
"I did warn you it was strong stuff," Rachel defended tossing a bottle for Chloe, a satisfying smash indicating the bluenette had hit the target again.  
  
Wanting to make it a little more interesting, Chloe tossed the next stone she found up in the air a few times. "Hey Rach, five bucks says Sophie doesn't even scratch the next one."  
  
"You don't have two bucks, let alone five," Rachel countered cheekily as she sent another bottle hurtling through the air. "Besides, I don't make stacked bets… against myself, anyway. I might like taking risks but I'm not stupid."  
  
Chloe watched as predictably, Max's stone sailed past the airborne bottle. "Swing and miss," she goaded, "couldn't hit the broadside of a barn."  
  
Shooting the blue-haired vampire a scowl, Max picked up another stone. "Gimme another one, Rach."  
  
Not one to back down, Chloe tried again. "Ok, I'll up the ante. Ten bucks says that bottle hits the dirt."  
  
"Not a chance," Rachel chuckled as she sent the new bottle sailing through the air, with Max's stone missing yet again.  
  
"Well, I think we can assume, Sophie's throwing skills..."  
  
"Deal," Kate's voice cut Chloe off as a black orb shot through the air, smashing the bottle just a few feet off the ground, eliciting a shocked gasp off Victoria followed by a small giggle from Kate.  
  
"What the…?" Victoria puzzled, still looking at where the glass bottle had been smashed, before following the black orb back to its owner. It turned blue as it came to rest on one of Max's tails. "Err, who…?" she mumbled looking at the young brunette Ahri now stood where the blonde Sophie had been literally seconds ago.  
  
Giving an amused smirk, Rachel stepped forward and motioned towards Max. "Victoria Chase, meet Maxine Caulfield... Although you two have already met."  
  
Victoria gave her a strange look, trying to place her. "I think I would remember meeting someone like her."  
  
Not giving Max a chance to interrupt, Rachel pressed ahead. "True...You were MUCH closer when you met, and she had more teeth."  
  
Victoria frowned as she stared at the young Ahri, who was nervously biting her lip. Her frown faded, eyes going wide as she slowly put things together. "It was you, the other night when Chloe got hurt. I thought you were gonna rip my head off."  
  
Max nodded guiltily. "It was me, well, sort of. Akira went a little overboard."  
  
_'I have apologized for that_ ,' Akira cut in.  
  
The blonde vampire looked understandably bemused by the name. "Who?"  
  
"Akira is... a three-thousand-year-old ghost that hangs out in Max's head," Rachel explained as casually as possible, like this made a lick of sense.  
  
"Well, that didn't take as long as I thought it would," Chloe remarked as she ducked into the makeshift shelter, returning momentarily with a rucksack.  
  
"Considering this is YOUR idea, you get to fill Victoria on why this has EVERY possibility to go FATALLY wrong. She does have the right to know why she could potentially end up dead after all," Max shot coldly at Chloe as she climbed up on the bonnet of the station wagon, sitting herself down while leaning against the windshield, her arms folding across her chest. More annoyed with herself for falling for Chloe's bait than anything else.  
  
Not wanting Max to get overly pissed again, Akira tried to calm her down. ' _You know, you're over reacting a little_.'  
  
' _A little maybe, but she deserves to know just how bad it can get,_ ' Max pointed out, although she had to admit, it felt nice not having to hide among friends.  
  
"Hey, you owe me ten bucks, Chloe. Don't think I've forgotten," Kate reminded, trying to diffuse the suddenly tense situation. If things continued as they were, she could sense an oncoming headache.  
  
"No, I don't, Max missed with the stone," the bluenette countered as stubborn as ever.  
  
Kate shook her head. "You said, and I quote, 'ten bucks says that bottle hits the dirt'. Max took it out before it hit the ground."  
  
Chloe just smirked. "Technically, the bottle hit the ground." Kate narrowed her eyes, giving her a scowl. "Come on, marshmallow, you know I ain't got it. However, I can offer one of these as compensation," she offered as she pulled out a bottle of orange aid, offering it to the short blonde.  
  
Kate's scowl faded as a small smile appeared on her lips. "I'll accept your substitute... THIS time, Ms. Price," she playfully conceded, taking the offering and joining Max on the car bonnet.  
  
"What does she mean by potentially ending up dead?" Victoria questioned as she took her own bottle of orange aid from Chloe leaning against the old car, cringing as she noticed her blouse now had dirt on it, then just shrugging.  
  
"It's a long story, but I guess I'll give you the shorthand version," Chloe said as she offered Rachel and Max their own bottles of drink.  
  
Leaning against the bonnet and taking a mouthful of her own drink Chloe retold Max's story to Victoria.

* * *

Victoria stood there listening as Chloe retold Max's story. At first, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, but one look at Max's expression, along with Kate's told her it was all true. Putting that together with what she had found out already, which admittedly wasn't much, and it painted a very grim future, one filled with uncertainty.  
  
"And I thought I had problems," she chuckled wearily, offering Max a genuine smile.  
  
"Yeah, you and me both. Problems much bigger than us, though," Chloe sighed, "that's why I organized all this."  
  
Max frowned at her, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
Chloe passed the brunette a cheeky grin. "It's not JUST about our project, you ARE the project, Max."  
  
"What? Now I'm confused." Max had no idea what she was getting at. Then again, that was nothing new.  
  
Rachel let out a humorous sigh as she caught on. "Remember when I told you if she used her brain she'd be dangerous?"  
  
Still not understanding, the frown deepened. "Yeah, but I still don't follow."  
  
"Ooh, I get it," Kate exclaimed grinning. "Max, this... what Chloe's organized, it's for YOU, not us."  
  
Seeing she was still lost as to what was going on, Chloe stepped up to the side of the car she was sat on. Taking one of the young Ahri's hands in her own she smiled, "Max, you've spent the best part of five years hiding, and you've gotten pretty good at it, but you know this is probably going to end in a fight."  
  
Max let out a depressed sigh. "I know, it's one of the reasons I didn't want to come back. I don't want you guys getting caught in the crossfire."  
  
"That's our choice to make, Max," Kate pointed out, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.  
  
"But getting back to the point, you've been cooped up for five years. This evening, you get to let loose, really stretch your legs and find out what you can do... As a by-product of that, we get info for the school project." Chloe smirked as she reached down into the crate beside her, withdrawing two empty bottles. "So, ya reckon you can hit two?"  
  
' _I like her way of thinking_ ,' Akira chimed in, glad to see Max's friends thought along the same lines.  
  
Max rolled her eyes, even though Akira wouldn't see the gesture. ' _Should I get you two a room?_ '  
  
_'Well, aren't you getting sassy_?' the elder Ahri replied, happy to see her vessel actually cracking a joke for a change instead of moaning about how unfair life was.  
  
' _It's the company I keep_.' Handing her drink to Kate and scootching herself off the bonnet, Max stood in front of Chloe raising an eyebrow as she watched the bluenette juggle the two empty bottles. "Can you?" she challenged with a smirk.  
  
"This isn't about me, is it," the bluenette reminded.  
  
"You're right, it's not," turning to face Victoria, Max took a breath, "Akira apologizes, by the way. She's... a little protective, among other things."  
  
_'Hey, I resent that remark.'_  
  
_'Don't try and deny it. Sometimes you wish you were in control_ ,' Max replied to the playfully indignant comment.  
  
' _Aww, is little Max afraid I might make her blush?_ ' Akira teased.  
  
Letting out a soft sigh, Max stifled her mild annoyance. _'I so wish I could hit you sometimes_.'  
  
"Can she take over whenever she wants?" Victoria questioned, half-curious, half-concerned.  
  
Max frowned a little, scrunching the side of her mouth. "I don't think so. Maybe, but she's only done it so far when I've frozen, or if I need a push, like my first kill... I would have probably starved myself before doing it."  
  
Victoria took a few seconds to process all this. "Not sure if that's a comfort or a curse."  
  
"I do wonder sometimes," Max smirked.  
  
_'Keep it up missy, and I won't talk to you for a week_.'  
  
' _Oh, whatever shall I do_?' Having a clear head for a week, no sarcastic comments each time she did literally anything, that might be a nice change.  
  
"But now you know Victoria, I'm a walking death magnet. So, if you wanna walk away I'll totally understand." Max had to say this, otherwise, it wasn't fair. She already felt bad enough dragging them all into this as much as she had, let alone for the long haul.  
  
"I know what it's like to have everyone avoid you... but I can't imagine what it's like to have to think you have to lock yourself away," Victoria said offering the young Ahri a smile as she walked over to Chloe taking the two bottles of her. "Come on Price, you're not gonna turn down a challenge, are you?"

* * *

 **A Few Hours and Many Smashed Bottles Later...**  
  
Max's orb shot through the air emitting a bright glow as it hurtled towards the descending bottle. It turned a solid black as it plunged the area into darkness, a satisfying smash indicating that the bottle had met its end. The orb began glowing again, lighting the way as it zipped back to its resting place on Max's tail.  
  
"Knew you'd get that third one eventually," Chloe praised, leaning against the old car wreck as she took a mouthful of her drink.  
  
The young Ahri let herself collapse onto her backside in the dirt, not caring. Sweat made her shirt stick to her body as she tried to get her breath back, taking the bottle of drink Rachel offered. "Didn't think I'd get that last one if I'm honest."  
  
"Must admit, it's a little mesmerizing watching you... And I don't think I'm the only one who thinks so," Rachel commented nodding at Kate who, as usual, was busy with her sketchpad.  
  
"Looks like you've found your muse, Kate," Victoria added as she looked over the empath's shoulder, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she saw the drawing.  
  
Bounding over and resting her head on Kate's shoulder, Rachel eyed up the picture. It was a black and white sketch of Max in a crouch. One of her tails swept forwards with her orb looking as its just been launched into the darkness. The light off it threw shadows of car wrecks and other large discarded items across the ground. "I think that's one of the best I've seen you draw."  
  
"You know, you're supposed to wait till it's finished," Kate muttered as she put the final touches to her drawing.  
  
"I'm sure it's fine, Kate," Chloe reassured as she grabbed another box from the den.  
  
"More bottles?" Max asked wearily, eyeing up the box. "I think I'm at my limit for today, Chloe."  
  
"Relax, Maxipad," Chloe smirked, the smirk turning into a grin as Max scowled at her, "no more bottle throwing. These aren't bottles anyhow," she stated, taking one out of the box, hold it up for the Ahri to see, a small jar with an unlit tea light inside.  
  
"We don't exactly need lights, Chloe. I think Max has that covered," Victoria pointed out, motioning to the glowing orb resting on one of Max's tails as it lit up the area with its gentle glow.  
  
Chloe shook her head, giving a very vague explanation of her plans. "These are for the final event, which I'm going to set up while Max recuperates a little."  
  
Max raised an eyebrow at her blue-haired friend. "And what is the final event may I ask?" she enquired curiously.  
  
"Well, Rachel here tells me your pretty fast... Buuut maybe you're too tired," Chloe playfully goaded.  
  
The young Ahri let a small smile tug at her lips. "If I'm racing, it won't be like this," she replied motioning to herself.  
  
"Well, I'll be about fifteen minutes setting this up. Should be enough for you to recover... you're gonna need it." And with that Chloe set off to mark out the racetrack.  
  
Sitting on the bonnet of the wrecked car, Victoria watched as Max and Kate entered the small hideaway in order for Max to get changed. It was then she noticed Rachel passing wistful glances in their direction.  
  
Wanting to get to the bottom of this, she decided to try her luck in getting the information she wanted. Rachel was a tough nut to crack, but Victoria did have some practice. "Well, there's a look I've not seen from you before."  
  
The comment snapped Rachel back to reality. "Huh... sorry, was miles away."  
  
Allowing herself a smile, Victoria shook her head. It was rare to catch Rachel so distracted. "I can see that... who is it?"  
  
"Chloe, obviously," she replied without hesitation.  
  
Victoria rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "That's obvious, but I also know you like Kate."  
  
"That's not really a secret. I think the only person that doesn't know is Kate herself... She's so clueless, it's kinda adorable," Rachel chuckled.  
  
There wasn't much point arguing with that fact. "That she is...What about Max? You gotta admit, there's a certain... appeal."  
  
Her expression shifted to mild surprise. "Didn't know you were that way inclined."  
  
That earned her a scoff. "I'm not, but doesn't mean I can't appreciate attractive people."  
  
"Fair point," a mischievous glint entered Rachel's hazel eyes, "Maybe I can change your mind sometime."  
  
The blonde vampire had to admire her flirtatious tenacity. "If I ever get curious, I'll make sure you're the first to know. Now, stop dodging the question."  
  
"Sorry, there was a question in there?" Rachel feigned ignorance. She knew what Victoria was trying to do here. She would have to try a lot harder than that to get information out of her.  
  
"Max, I saw you watching while she was hitting those bottles... In the same way you've watched Chloe when she's on her skateboard," Victoria replied in a mildly accusatory tone.  
  
"You seem to be watching me a hell of a lot, Chase. Just saying." Getting an over-exaggerated eye roll from Victoria, she continued. "Doesn't really matter, Chloe would come before me any..." Rachel was cut off by Victoria holding her hand up upon hearing glass break under heavy footfalls.  
  
Turing to face the noise, Rachel saw a figure approaching from the shadows. Shaggy uncombed hair, blonde goatee, wearing rugged blue jeans, black boots with a leather jacket. Her attention, however, was drawn to his eyes.  
  
Victoria turned to the man, her stance neutral. "Hey, Frank, what brings you here?"  
  
"Oh, hi Victoria... Rachel," he replied nodding at the young hunter, "Was passing by and heard a lot of shouting and laughing along with breaking glass, just came to see what the fuss was about."  
  
Recalling Max's description of the vampire hunting her, Rachel leaning in closer to Victoria and whispered, "His eyes, Torie, they're purple."  
  
"So?" she whispered back before the realization kicked in, "What's that gotta... shit."  
  
Clearing her throat, Rachel decided to get to the bottom of this. "Um, Frank... what have you been taking?"  
  
"Only the usual, bit of weed and my usual pill... Why you gonna tell me off again, mom?" he shot back playfully.  
  
"That stuff doesn't usually do that to your eyes," she responded, wondering just what the hell he had taken this time.  
  
"Huh, do what?" he replied confused, walking up to a nearby car crouching down to get a look in a cracked wing mirror, "What the fuck?"  
  
"You didn't know?" Victoria cautiously pressed.  
  
He frowned as he inspected the damage. "Do I look like I fucking knew?"  
  
Deciding to trust him for now, Rachel tried to get more information. "Frank, where did you get whatever it was you took?"  
  
"My usual man... although the delivery guy was different, dumb fuck musta gotten my shit mixed up with someone else's," he spat through gritted teeth as he slammed his fist through the wrecked car door, eliciting a gasp from the two girls, as well as a look of surprise on his own face.  
  
"That's some serious shit you've taken, Frank," Victoria mumbled, not wanting to piss him off more.  
  
"Frank... I need to ask this. Do you know who that came from?" If there was a chance he knew, they may be able to find out who was after the Ahri, and more importantly, Max.  
  
"Nah, client confidentiality and all that shit, but I'm gonna be having words with my supplier. I don't like surprises," he growled getting to his feet. Letting out a sigh, he began walking back the way he came. "I'm gonna go sort this mess out, you girls look..." stopping suddenly he glanced towards the small brick hideout, his stance guarded, "I know you're in there, come out." Kate nervously exited the den, clutching Max's pendant which now hung around her neck. He frowned at her menacingly. "Who the fuck are you?"  
  
"That's Kate, she's with us, Frank," Rachel reassured before he became too hostile.  
  
"Any more surprises I should know about?" he growled clearly a little agitated. It was then that Max made her way out of the den, letting out a low growl and putting herself in between Kate and Frank. "Vanessa!" Frank questioned clearly surprised, Max ceasing her growl at the mention of her mother's name.  
  
Rachel was almost as surprised as Max by what Frank had said. "Err, no it's not, Frank. It's…You knew Vanessa?"  
  
"Ha, knew her, I used to go to school with her. Girl and her crew were always up to mischief," he revealed.  
  
With Max unable to answer herself, Rachel clarified the situation. "Frank...Vanessa, she's dead. This is her daughter, Max."  
  
For just a moment, Frank allowed his shock and sadness to show. "I'm... sorry to hear that. Hmph, didn't even know she had a daughter. She was a good friend, always seemed to have time to listen to people's problems."  
  
"It's ok, Max, he's telling the truth," Kate reassured coming up to Max's side rubbing her shoulder.  
  
He almost seemed angry at the insulation that he was making this up. "Of course I am, why would I lie?"  
  
Now that he knew, they had to make sure he would keep this quiet. "Frank, you can't tell anyone about her. She... she's in trouble."  
  
Frank raised an eyebrow. "What kind of trouble?"  
  
"The kind that got her parents killed... and mine," Rachel managed shakily.  
  
"You don't know your dad's dead, Rach. He could still be..." he hesitated when he saw her expression. Something had happened, anyone could tell.  
  
Rachel shook her head as she wiped away the start of a tear threatening to spill over. "No, Frank, he's... gone. Max saw it with her own eyes."  
  
"I'm sorry, Rachel..." he mumbled, not good with emotional stuff.  
  
"It's not just Max who's in trouble. The Ahri are being hunted," Victoria added, trying to change the subject for Rachel's sake.  
  
He seemed just as shocked as they had been discovering this plan. "Who would do that?"  
  
"If and when we find out who, we plan on asking them," Rachel muttered bitterly.  
  
"I'll be keeping my ears and eyes open for ya then. The Ahri don't deserve this, least not the ones I've met... does explain the lack of them though," Frank let out a sigh as he stared up at the night sky. "Something doesn't feel right around here lately. It's like the air is charged or summin'. You girls be careful, ok."  
  
Over her moment of emotion, Rachel nodded firmly. "We will, and get whatever you've taken got rid of. Wherever it came from, it ain't good."  
  
"Don't you worry about that, knowing its linked to… whatever is going on with the Ahri, I want no part of it," Frank assured her as he waved and took off into the woods.  
  
Scooching herself off the car, Rachel made her way over to where Max and Kate were stood. "You ok, Max?" she asked kneeling in front of Max gently rubbing her furry cheek, eliciting a small nod from the wolf as she leaned into the hunter touch.  
  
"Does that mean we can cross him off the suspect list?" Kate asked, rattled by the whole situation.  
  
"I know Frank. He might have a bit of a temper, but… I dunno." Rachel couldn't see him doing it, but that didn't mean much.  
  
Victoria stared at the spot where he had retreated into the forest. "Guess we just have to watch our backs from now on."  
  
As for Max, she didn't know what to think. The purple eyes… those were enough to keep her on edge. She wasn't the only one exercising caution. Akira too was uncertain what to make of Frank. Aside from the eyes, a seemingly easy thing to explain as a coincidence, there was no evidence of him being related. Equally, aside from him knowing Vanessa at one time or another, there was no reason to trust him.  
  
' _I'd agree with Victoria on this one, Max,_ ' Akira finally said.  
  
' _Yeah, me too. You never can be too careful_ ,' Max agreed, not wanting to risk it. Everyone was a suspect, current company excluded.


	22. A Night at the Races

** A Night at the Races **

A few moments later, Chloe re-joined the group oblivious to what had just happened. "The prodigal daughter finally returns… what's up with the tense atmosphere?"  
  
Rachel took the job of filling her in on the details. "Frank dropped by. Had some freaky purple eye thing going on, a drug mix-up apparently."  
  
Chloe frowned, glancing over at Max while remembering what she had told them about her parents' killer. "You think…?"  
  
"All I think is that we need to keep a close eye on things from now on," the blonde hunter stated, with Victoria nodding approvingly.  
  
"Right." Eager to take Max's mind off things and lighten the mood, Chloe motioned towards what she had been working on. "Still up for the race? If you say no, I'll cry for like a week. I put a lotta love and hard work into it."  
  
Rolling her eyes playfully, Max moved towards the starting line with the others following close behind. She could worry about Frank later. There would be plenty of time for that. Besides, if he was really involved, he could've attacked them then and there. The purple eye thing would have made it easy, as she had seen, and the junkyard was the perfect place to do it, totally secluded. They were probably fine for the time being.  
  
"So, you ready guys?" Chloe asked from the starting line she had marked out with an old piece of cloth along with some extra candles.  
  
"I'll pass. I already know Max is a lot faster than me. I'll just wait on the finish line to congratulate Max when she wins," the young hunter replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Care to place a wager on that?" Chloe challenged, determined to win something tonight.  
  
Rachel bobbed her head from side to side, thinking it over for a second, then shrugged. "Sure, when Max wins, you're my skivvy for the week, and IF... by some miracle, you win, dinner's on me for the week."  
  
"Dinner's ON you, or IS you?" Chloe asked, the start of a grin showing on her face.  
  
Already having predicted that kind of comment, Rachel placed a hand on her hip. "That is open to negotiation, not that I'm worried."  
  
"And what if I win?" Victoria asked as she took off her heels at the starting line.  
  
"Same deal, I guess," Rachel cracked teasingly.  
  
"Is it bad I don't need my ability to know what you're getting at, Rachel?" Maybe Kate had been spending too much time around her recently. Or maybe she was just predictable.  
  
Rachel threw her a wink. "Nope, just means you're thinking the same thing."  
  
Kate opened her mouth to protest and quickly clamped it shut not taking the young hunters bait, "What if Max wins?"  
  
"I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement," the young hunter smirked.  
  
Max shook her head letting out a sigh. ' _Does she ever give up, I wonder?_ '  
  
' _Not from what I've seen, she reminds me a lot of me... a long time ago_ ,' Akira mentioned with a wistful fondness.  
  
Max stifled a chuckle. Her group of friends would probably guess she was laughing at Akira, but maybe not. Best not to look like a total loony. ' _Not that you've changed much.'_  
  
_'Hey!'_  
  
' _Only difference is you won't actually act on anything... thankfully_.' As far as Rachel went… that was a different story entirely. She was very capable of acting on her advances.  
  
' _Maybe I should... you might learn a thing or two_.'  
  
' _One day Akira, one day I'm gonna find a way to HIT you_ ,' Max threatened playfully. Maybe she could give her a mental slap or something. Worth a shot.  
  
Reading her thoughts, Akira decided to discourage her, just in case it worked. If there was a way, Max would do her best to find it. ' _Oh, I don't doubt it, just… Make sure it's not for a LONG time, ok?'_  
  
_'Deal,_ ' Max grinned.  
  
"Well, I won't be racing for obvious reasons," Kate stated, as Max nudged her hinting to her back. "You want me to ride you?" she asked. Max nodded, hinting to her back again. "I'll just slow you down, Max. Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on Rachel."  
  
Letting out a small sulk, Max wandered over to the starting line with Chloe and Victoria.  
  
"Ya know, she just wants to include you," Rachel said as she joined Kate just out of earshot of the other three girls.  
  
"I know... I just don't wanna be a hindrance that's all," Kate sighed. She really did appreciate the sentiment and had enjoyed her last adrenaline fuelled ride with Max.  
  
"I get that," Rachel nodded and then smirked, "you know, it would actually help her push herself. Plus, could you imagine Chloe when she loses with Max carrying you?"  
  
"I guess," Kate mumbled, playing with the necklace Max had given her to look after.  
  
The blonde hunter grinned to herself as she thought of another incentive to add. "If you don't go, a certain picture might make its way around the school, with a nice little caption, of course."  
  
Kate shot her a scowl, "You wouldn't dare."  
  
"Just three little taps and..." she said teasingly as she playfully tapped on her phone.  
  
"Hey, Max, wait up," Kate shouted, as she pushed herself off the old car and made her way over to the starting line. She didn't want to risk it. Seeing her approach, Max laid down so the young empath could easily climb on.  
  
"Three, two, one, GO!" Chloe shouted launching herself of the starting line, quickly followed by Victoria.  
  
"Hey, we weren't ready," Kate shouted as she got onto Max back, holding on tight to her main as she sprung to her feet, launching herself after the two vampires at full tilt.  
  
Approaching the two vampires, Max chuckled to herself as she watched them trying to shove each other off course, completely oblivious to herself and Kate gaining on them as they bolted over the railroad tracks into the forest following the trail of tealights. It was Victoria who got the upper hand between the pair, tripping the bluenette and sending her careening into a tree causing it to fall down. To her credit, Chloe managed to get to her feet and was hot on the blonde vampire's heels before the tree even hit the ground with an almighty crash. This turn of events caused the young Ahri to violently alter her course, throwing Kate from her back screaming as the pair barely missed the collapsing tree.  
  
"Do those two even realize were in this… ouch?" Kate winced as she got to her feet and tried putting pressure on her ankle. Max let out a whimper of concern as she trotted up to Kate's side. "It's ok, I think it's just sprained," she reassured the young Ahri as she climbed back on. "Now, let's win this thing."  
  
Hurtling through the woods, Max could hear the two vampires up ahead, both laughing and goading each other as they fought to get ahead of the other. In the distance, she could hear the sound of a train approaching as she weaved through the trees following the candles with Kate giggling. She rounded the bend just in time to see the two vampires crossing the train lines as the locomotive whizzed past. Undeterred, Max spotted a break in the train's carriages, a lone flatbed carrying logs. With a low growl, she powered forward lining herself up for the gap.  
  
"Max," Kate muttered as she realized what the Ahri was going to attempt, gripping onto the thick black fur tightly as she felt her heart begin to race. "Oh god," she shrieked clamping her eyes shut as Max leaped through the air over the flatbed, the next carriage narrowly missing the wolf's tails.  
  
Kicking up a plume of dust and dirt as she landed the on the other side, Max broke into long strides, powering along the track. She could clearly see the pair of vampires still trying to get ahead of each other. Rounding another bend the junkyard came into sight, along with it the finish line. Max knew if she didn't do something, Chloe wouldn't let her live it down, even if she did technically cheat at the start. Turning her orb a solid black she slung it ahead of her, past the two quarreling vampires. On its return trajectory, it pulsed a dim white before bursting into a bright white blinding light stunning the pair. In the second of confusion, they tripped over each other in an undignified heap laughing as Max bolted past them.

* * *

"Well, that was predictable," Rachel smirked as Max sprinted across the finish line with Kate still clinging onto her fur, her eyes still clamped shut, "You ok, Kate?"  
  
"Holy shit," Kate mumbled as she let herself collapse into Max's fur, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Her heart was pounding in her chest as adrenaline lit up all of her senses.  
  
With her face buried in Max's mane, she could hear the steady powerful beats of the Ahri's heart clearly above her own. It was like she hadn't even broken a sweat. She could also sense Max's concern, as well as what seemed to be a playfulness coming from Akira. Surprising considering she was wearing Max's necklace, but Max and Akira were all she could sense.  
  
"I think that's the first time I have EVER heard you swear."  
  
Sitting herself up, she opened her eyes to see Rachel with an almost worried look. Offering the young hunter a smile she nodded, "I'm ok, just... that was intense, particularly jumping a MOVING train."  
  
Before Rachel could ask, Chloe and Victoria came hurtling over the finish line landing in a heap giggling manically. "And the first time I've heard Victoria laugh in a month."  
  
"She started it, trying to trip me up" Victoria chuckled getting to her feet only to get tripped again by Chloe.  
  
"If I recall you were the one that started it. I've just finished it," the bluenette shot playfully as she sprinted to the car wreck where all their stuff was, helping herself to a drink.  
  
"Can you pass mine, Chloe?" Rachel asked with an appealing smile.  
  
Chloe gave her a disapproving look. "What did your last slave die of?"  
  
"She hasn't died of anything… yet. That might change if she starts being a smartass, also, Max won, you know what that means."  
  
"Max cheated, she blinded us," she protested with a frown.  
  
It was kind of ironic how Chloe of all people would be dragging others up for cheating given her track record. "And you started the race before Max and Kate were ready."  
  
"And nearly took us out with a tree," Kate added, still on a rush.  
  
Chloe let out a groan as she handed Rachel her drink. "I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut."  
  
"Yes, you should, Price," Victoria added, glancing at Kate, "Enjoy your ride, Kate."  
  
"I did, although I feel like I ran the race myself," Kate replied placing a hand on her pounding heart that was only just starting to slow down.  
  
"Well, if it takes jumping a moving train to get you going, no wonder I struggle." Rachel winked playfully, causing the young empath to blush slightly at the insinuation.  
  
"Well, I guess we'd better get back. Mom's blowing up my phone, dinners gonna be ready in fifteen minutes." Chloe held up her phone to demonstrate the torrent of messages.  
  
"I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then," Victoria replied, picking up her own bottle of drink before turning to the group, "I actually had a laugh tonight. We should do it again some time."  
  
"Victoria Chase, offering to hang out with the misfits...I 'm sure that's one of the seven signs of the apocalypse," Rachel teased with a grin.  
  
Victoria let out an amused hmph, "I used to think being popular mattered... You guys, your something different, I can't put my finger on it, but I got a feeling about you four. I think your worth hanging onto."  
  
Not expecting that kind of response, Chloe offered her a small smirk. "Steady Torie, I think I might puke with that level of mush."  
  
That made Rachel laugh. "Just because you've got the emotional capacity of a brick, Chloe."  
  
"Hey, I can be..." Chloe stopped herself seeing Rachel raise an eyebrow at her, "Ok… I'm not good with mushy crap."  
  
"See ya later guys... And Max, it's good to finally meet you," and with, that Victoria took off towards her car.  
  
When she had gone, Chloe turned to the rest of the group. "Don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but I can only fit two of you in my truck."  
  
"I guess it's me and Kate, seeing as Max will probably beat us home anyways..." It was then that she noticed the flicker of challenge in her friend's eyes, "And no Chloe, you're not racing her in your truck."  
  
"Spoilsport," Chloe pouted as she started gathering their things.  
  
"See you at Joyce's, Max," Kate said as she started to get off Max, only to have the wolf give her a disapproving growl.  
  
"Actually, I think you already have your ride, Kate," Rachel smirked.  
  
"Well, I guess I won't turn it down," Kate grinned as she readjusted herself on Max's back. "Can you grab my stuff please, Chloe?"  
  
"You got it, marshmallow. I'll grab yours too, Max. See you at home. Try not to get lost, I know what you're like with directions."  
  
"See you at Joyce's, guys," Kate said, and with that Max turned and bounded into the woods towards Chloe's house.  
  
Once Max's light had disappeared into the woods, Rachel began helping Chloe gather their things. "Do you think she realizes it yet?"  
  
Chloe turned to her, a question in her blue eyes. "Huh, realize… who?"  
  
"Kate, do you think she realizes yet?" Rachel asked again.  
  
The addition of Kate's name didn't seem to make it any clearer for Chloe. "Not sure I follow."  
  
"And you say Kate's clueless," Rachel snickered as she jammed Max's borrowed clothes into a bag, "Kate's smitten with Max."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"I do, she just doesn't know it yet." She had watched Max and Kate for some time now and that was the only logical conclusion she could reach.  
  
Something in Chloe's mind clicked then. It was so obvious all of a sudden. "You're jealous."  
  
"Maybe a little... I just never thought Kate was actually... ya know, into girls." Stereotypically speaking, it was unlikely. Then again, just because someone looked a certain way or believed a certain thing didn't mean shit.  
  
"And yet, you still try".  
  
"You know me, I'm relentless. And causing chaos is fun," Rachel replied with a smirk.  
  
"So out of curiosity, if you had a choice between me and Kate, who'd you pick?" Chloe asked, interested in her answer. As far as both looks and personality went, she and Kate couldn't be further apart.  
  
"That's not a fair choice, Chloe... But," Rachel let out a drawn out sigh, "Well what about you and Max?"  
  
Having the question turned on her threw the bluenette for a loop. Who would she choose? She loved Rachel, no question, but having Max back in her life stirred up old feelings. How did one measure how much they loved someone? Was there a measurement? Reluctantly, she just shrugged unable to answer the blonde.  
  
"At least you're in the same dilemma as me. If I had to choose, assuming both felt the same way about me, I wouldn't be able to... maybe one day we'll figure it out," Rachel sighed grabbing the now overly full bag offering Chloe her hand as the two girls walked back to the truck.  
  
The short discussion had gotten them thinking. Whatever happened next between the four of them, both girls had a feeling it would be interesting.

* * *

The clatter of cutlery ceased as everyone cleaned their plates. All four girls had been too hungry due to recent events to really talk much. Even Kate had attacked her food with the ravenous hunger of a half-starved wild animal. Of course, that had gotten a few playful teasing comments from Rachel, causing the empath to blush slightly.  
  
"Joyce, that was better than I remember," Max sighed, leaning back on her chair patting her overly full stomach.  
  
"Definitely one of your best," Kate agreed, shifting herself to the back of her seat so she didn't slouch.  
  
"Really Kate, I couldn't tell. I mean, you inhaled your food nearly as fast as Chloe," Rachel smirked as she put her own cutlery to rest.  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes in an overly exaggerated fashion. "I'm not that bad," she defended, covering her mouth as she let out a belch.  
  
"I'm guessing it gets the Chloe seal of approval then," Joyce chuckled as she started stacking the plates.  
  
"Uh-huh" Chloe nodded, craning her neck to get a better view of the kitchen from her seat, her eyes fixed firmly on a large plastic cake cover on the side.  
  
"But apparently, I haven't filled that hole of yours," Joyce chuckled, noting her daughter's target as she made her way to the kitchen with the stack of dirty dishes.  
  
The blue-haired vampire grinned. "There's always room for chocolate cake, mom."  
  
"Not too sure about that," Max mumbled, poking her stuffed belly. She hadn't eaten this well in ages. In all the years she had known Chloe, she'd never been able to keep up with that gargantuan appetite of hers. Not much had changed there.  
  
Bringing the various dirty cups over to the sink to help Joyce, getting shooed away when she tried to help wash up, Kate turned back to the table. "I have to agree with Max on this one. I'll have mine to go please, Joyce."  
  
Following her lead, Rachel stood. "Me too please, Joyce."  
  
"You guys not staying the night?" Chloe asked, sounding just a little disappointed.  
  
"I'd love too, but I, we…" Kate didn't finish her sentence, conflicted. She really did want to stay, but she had other things to attend to. Besides, Max and Chloe probably needed some time to themselves. They had five years of heavy emotional baggage to sort through between them.  
  
Noting the hesitation, Rachel finished the sentence for her. "We have an English paper due in on Monday, so we better make sure it's done. Besides, it gives you two a chance to catch up."  
  
Chloe seemed surprised by this confession. "Thought you two woulda had that done already."  
  
"I almost have," Kate revealed, knowing that the young Ahri would instantly try to blame herself when she knew the reason behind not getting homework done. "I kinda stopped when I went looking for Max the other night."  
  
"Sorry about that," Max apologized guiltily.  
  
Kate waved away the anticipated guilt. "Hey, it's only homework. You needed a friend... I just didn't realize how much."  
  
"It's nice to have friends," Max agreed, making her way to the kitchen as she started doing the dishes.  
  
"Friends," Rachel said nonchalantly, passing Chloe a small smile that conveyed much more than words ever could.  
  
The bluenette rolled her eyes at the hunter, shaking her head slightly. After saying their goodbyes, hugs included, Rachel and Kate left the house. Since Joyce had cooked them all a meal, Max and Chloe got to work on the dirty dishes. It took them longer than it should have thanks to Chloe trying to incite a splash war halfway through. Again, something that hadn't changed. One stern look from Joyce ended that potential chaos before it could begin. When they had finished up, the two of them headed up to Chloe's room for a classic sleepover, just like the ones they used to do when kids.  
  
"So, what ya wanna watch?" Chloe asked as she rooted through her DVDs, flicking on the TV as she went.  
  
"You're probably more up to date on films than me," Max admitted, as she got comfortable on Chloe's bed.  
  
"Well, I'm in the mood for some mellow Blade Runner action," Chloe replied, putting the film on and joining her on the bed.  
  
"You better not fall asleep like you always do," Max chided playfully.  
  
"Good thing I don't need as much sleep nowadays," the bluenette replied with a smug smirk, like she had won some kind of major competition.  
  
Max matched her smirk, amused. "Doesn't seem to stop you though."  
  
"I won't fall asleep this time. Promise," Chloe reassured the brunette, cuddling up to her and gently scratching behind one of her ears.  
  
This action caused the young Ahri to let slip a satisfied groan. "You have no idea just how good that feels." She hadn't had affection like this for years, and both Kate and Chloe seemed to have found a spot that just turned her to mush in seconds, not that she cared. This was better than a massage.  
  
"I have a pretty good idea. I've seen the way it affects you when Kate does it," Chloe grinned as the film began to start. Max involuntarily relaxed into her touch, letting her eyes close for just a second before she felt a light shove at her shoulder. "Hey, doesn't mean you can fall asleep, especially not after lecturing me."  
  
"I wasn't asleep," Max protested with a slight pout at the accusation.  
  
"Only because I shoved you," Chloe replied, playfully shoving her again.  
  
After a few shoves back and forth, they called a temporary truce. Despite both their attempts to stay awake until the end, both girls found themselves drifting off into a deep sleep an hour in.

* * *

 ** _Her eyes opened once more, met with an almost complete dark cave say for the light of a couple of flickering candles circling her. It took a good few moments to adjust to the drastic shift in lighting. When her surroundings became clear, she could see jagged walls made of stone, carved out by nature. Three or so tunnel-like structures led off from the main section, much too dark to see down with the naked eye even with her enhanced vision. Several thick, crooked pillars supported the rock ceiling above, stalactites of varying lengths poking down. Water dripped from the pointed icicle-shaped formations, the noise of each drop echoing softly at periodic intervals._ **  
  
**_A pair of brown eyes suddenly appeared above her, shifting to a deep crimson red, the stuff of countless horror films and nightmares. The firm grip of another person holding her fast, a second of pain as she felt a pair of needle-sharp fangs pierced her neck. She could feel her blood being drained, her life force slowly ebbing away. She tried to fight it, to call for help, but her body refused to obey. This couldn't be happening. She didn't want to die, wasn't ready. She pleaded for someone, anyone to help her, but her voice was silent._ **  
  
**_Her body struggled to remain active, mind flashing with images from her past, Chloe, Rachel, Kate, Joyce, her mom, and dad. All she could do was watch them flicker like a film before her eyes. Each breath becoming weaker, her body growing cold as her vision became hazy, with a final slow exhalation, she felt the darkness claim her._ **

* * *

Max woke with a start to a loud crash and a muffled ooof. Shifting her orb to emit a gentle glow to light up the room, she could see Chloe in a heap on the other side of the room. To Max's dismay, she found her partially embedded in what was her dresser, wearing a mixed expression of shock and uncertainty.  
  
"Holy shit... Chloe," Max gasped, scrambling from the bed to help the blue-haired vampire up, "Are you ok?"  
  
Accepting the help, Chloe got to her feet, pulling a large splinter of wood out of her arm. "Yeah, I'll live... remind me NOT to try waking you up from a nightmare again."  
  
"Huh?" Max frowned in confusion for a second before it dawned on her. She had sent Chloe flying. "Oh, shit... I am so sorry, Chloe." She covered her mouth with her hands as her ears folded back on themselves and her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.  
  
Chloe couldn't help but grin a little at how cute Max looked right now. "I'm ok, Maxaronie." She waved off the apology as she inspected the damage to her dresser. "Guess I need a new one."  
  
"I'm a walking disaster," Max grumbled as she walked over to the bed, flopping down face first. Yelping in surprise as she felt one of her tails getting tugged. Craning her neck, she saw Chloe standing there wearing a grin.  
  
"You're not a walking disaster, Max... I mean, ok you seem to have something against my room," Chloe chuckled, signaling to the hole her desk now covered, it being moved back to its original place. "So, at the very least, you're MY walking disaster."  
  
"I'll make it up to you sometime," the young Ahri promised, letting her head slump back into the duvet.  
  
"Oh yeah, and how do you plan on that?" Chloe pressed, curious to find out how she would answer that and happy to make suggestions if she couldn't think of anything. She had a few ideas.  
  
Max wracked her brain, giving it some serious thought. "I dunno, take you out hunting or summin'."  
  
"I dunno about that. I don't like my food quite as fresh as you do," Chloe reminded. Not only that, but animal blood wasn't anywhere near as satisfying or filling as human blood, as strange as that was to admit. More like a substitute or a light snack.  
  
"Well, I was thinking, you eat..." Max hesitated, quickly correcting herself, "drink the blood, I eat the rest."  
  
"Romantic meal for two, eh?" the bluenette offered, half-joking, half-hopeful.  
  
"Was just a suggest... wha, Chloe, no, I mean... grrr." Letting out a frustrated sigh, Max buried her head back into the duvet. Thankful that Akira wasn't actually around right now, she'd have a field day with this.  
  
Wanting to press this some more, Chloe smirked. "So, is that a no, then?"  
  
"It's a maybe," Max mumbled into the blanket.  
  
Climbing onto the bed, the bluenette sat next to Max, cocking her head to one side, "Ya wanna talk about the nightmare?"  
  
Propping herself up on one elbow, the young Ahri looked up at the other girl shrugging a little. "Not much to tell really. It's just the same dreams over and over, each time I see or feel a little bit more, either I'm killing everyone around me or I'm... being killed." An involuntarily shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the sensations. They felt so real it was unnerving.  
  
Chloe seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Not surprising really after what you've been through. You're bound to have a few nightmares but... you're not killing anyone, Max."  
  
"I did the other night. I killed two vampires," Max reminded her, the harrowing memory clear in her mind.  
  
"No, that was Akira. Besides, you, she did it to protect us," Chloe insisted.  
  
"And I let her, she would have killed Victoria too if I hadn't have stopped her. One was on the run. I didn't have to…" Her voice cut out, unable to finish the sentence.  
  
"Max," Chloe said, placing a hand on the young Ahri's shoulder and looking her in the eyes, "but you did stop her, and no one's gonna miss those assholes anyway," she reassured, not taking her eyes from Max's.  
  
The young Ahri pondered this for a few moments. She knew if Akira were here, she would be in agreement with her blue-haired friend. Then again, she and Akira rarely saw eye to eye, usually due to Max's reluctance to 'actually live' as Akira put it.  
  
It was then that she noticed Chloe looking at her intently, as if studying her, "Do I have something on my face?" She blushed, looking away.  
  
The question brought Chloe from her trance. "Huh... no, sorry, it's just... your eyes, they're blue."  
  
"You've known me HOW long, Chloe?" Max asked in disbelief. "I know you haven't seen me for a while, but… really?"  
  
"Very funny, such wit. I mean there COMPLETELY blue, no green," Chloe clarified, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Oh that, you noticed, huh?"  
  
"Well, duh, kinda hard not to notice, they're pret..." she stopped mid-sentence, clearing her throat, "It's pretty difficult not to notice."  
  
"Just means Akira's not about." Max shrugged as if it was common knowledge. ' _Wait a sec, was she about to say my eyes were pretty_?' She could feel her cheeks heat up at the thought  
  
"So, the greener they are... the more Akira's in control?" Chloe asked with a frown. She wasn't sure how she'd feel if that were the case.  
  
Seeing the concern in Chloe's eyes, Max stepped in to ease her worries. "More like, the greener they are, the more I let Akira influence me. When she's about she can see, hear and feel what I feel. When I let her... help, or when I freeze, that's when she steps in... she's only forced herself once, and that was to get me to eat."  
  
Chloe thought it over some more, trying to find a tangible comparison. "So, bit like a guardian angel."  
  
Max might not go THAT far, but Akira had been guiding her all this time. "Yeah, an overly suggestive one, that loves trying to embarrass me. I swear to dog, I'd combust if Rachel and Akira ever met... thankfully, that ain't gonna happen."  
  
Just thinking about the possibility made Chloe smile. "Never say never, Max. If I've learned anything, it's weird crap can and probably will happen. You're living proof of that."  
  
"No, I'm living proof that fucked up shit happens. We all are." Max corrected, curling herself up and hugging one of her tails.  
  
"I like to think of it as were living proof that fucked up shit can be beaten, and we will find a way to sort this out, Maximoo," Chloe reassured, lying beside the young Ahri. She propped herself on her elbow so she could easily reach over and scratch behind Max's ear, causing her groan happily. "Besides, you coming back has been a turning point, definitely in my life. You've helped Rachel move on from her past, and me, heh, well I got a new lease of life. Not to mention you seem to have had an effect on a certain blonde empath."  
  
"Hmm, maybe. I like Kate, she's nice to hang around," Max admitted.  
  
"Oh thanks," Chloe pouted, as she ceased scratching Max's ear, eliciting a small whine from the girl.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that. Kate's calming, your chaotic, and Rachel... she's mischievous. Together, it's a balance I guess," Max explained, tugging at Chloe's arm giving her her best puppy dog eyes.  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes smirking as she resumed scratching behind the Ahri's ear. "And what about you? Where do you fit in"?  
  
"When I figure that out, I'll let you know." Max shrugged, letting out a deep yawn as she let her eyes slowly close.  
  
Chloe sat for a while as the young Ahri drifted off, her orb gradually returning to its blue state, giving off a subtle blue glow. It didn't light the room up much, but it was pleasant. Once she was gently snoring, Chloe carefully untangled herself and made her way off the bed. Checking the time and seeing it was barely midnight, she decided to go have a smoke. She should probably pick up some food from the blood bank too, couldn't rely on her mom to do it all after all.  
  
Picking up her supplies, she passed another glance at the sleeping Ahri, was about to say something, then simply left via the window, disappearing into the night.


	23. Heart to Heart

** Heart to Heart **

The morning sun filtered through the faded American flag that swayed in the gentle breeze of the open window. A few birds chirruping somewhere outside. Lazily stretching out, Max patted the empty space next to her, noting Chloe wasn't there much to her disappointment. Rolling nearer to the bedside, she checked the time on the alarm, almost having a fit when she realized it was gone mid-day, then relaxing remembering it was Saturday.

Getting out of bed and stretching, a slightly unpleasant odor filling her nostrils. She might not have her acute sense of smell in human form, but not even her nose could miss that. After last night's antics, she needed a serious shower. Quickly rooting around in Chloe's room, she managed to locate some shower supplies and a change of clothes from the now rather sorry excuse for a dresser.  
  
Once showered, the young Ahri was brushing her hair, noting the light green encircling her eyes in the mirror's reflection, not that she needed a visual cue to tell her Akira was back, she just knew. ' _Morning, Akira_.'  
  
' _Good morning_ ,' Akira replied chipperly.  
  
' _Enjoying the show?_ ' Max asked, buttoning up the red flannel shirt she liberated from Chloe's now wrecked dresser. She had stopped caring long ago if Akira saw her, instead just ignoring the remarks.  
  
' _Can't complain._ ' There was a verbal shrug in her tone, less smug than usual.  
  
' _What... no comments_?' That actually surprised Max more than anything.  
  
' _It's no fun if you don't blush_ ,' Akira pointed out, ' _besides I seen it all before_.'  
  
' _That's what Rachel said_ ,' Max replied without thinking.  
  
_'Oh, when did she see?'_ Akira asked with gleeful curiosity. This was news to her, potentially exciting news. Had she missed something important while she had been away?  
  
' _Uh…_ ' Max immediately began backtracking, ' _she hasn't. Don't worry, that privilege is still just yours._ '  
  
' _You almost sound disappointed by that_ ,' Arkia goaded, happy to have found an opening to tease Max.  
  
' _Wha... no, I didn't mean it like that_.' Turning away from the mirror, now fully dressed, she headed downstairs to see if anyone was around.  
  
Feeling a little disappointed at the house being empty, she found a note on the coffee pot from Joyce telling her to help herself and that she would see them all later. Shrugging, she helped herself to a mug of coffee and as she went through to the dining room spied another note on the cake cover, this time to Chloe. 'Leave some for Max' was scrawled across it. Smiling to herself, she lifted the cover to find two large pieces of chocolate cake.  
  
Helping herself to one piece she took a big bite, moaning happily at the chocolate goodness that was Joyce's cooking. ' _Best breakfast EVER_!'  
  
' _So, not into girls, then?_ ' Akira said as nonchalant as possible.  
  
' _AKIRA_!' Max choked as she washed down a mouthful of cake that got lodged with her coffee. ' _I never said... I am eating, you know_.'  
  
Eager for a distraction from this inappropriate question, she nibbled on her cake as she wandered over to inspect the photos lined up on the mantle piece. The recovered picture of baby Max, Chloe, and Rachel had taken pride of place.  
  
_'Sorry, maybe just not the right girl, then_.'  
  
Max rolled her eyes. ' _Ugh… If I ever was going to have this conversation, it wouldn't be with you.'_  
  
_'Oh… why not?_ ' Akira asked innocently.  
  
Max stopped in front of a small mirror. Looking at it, she raised an eyebrow so her passenger could see. ' _You REALLY need to ask that?_ '  
  
' _Err yeah, who else ya gonna talk to about it? Least I won't go blabbing_.' That much was true. Even if Akira wanted to, there was no-one she could tell. She was stuck in Max's head, after all, and telling other Ahri wouldn't really be a benefit.  
  
_'Because you can't… besides, all you'd do is try to poke fun_ ,' Max pointed out, her attention being called to her phone as it went off signaling a message, Pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking it, she saw it was a message from Rachel.  
  
**Rachel - Afternoon, come see what we found**  
  
Attached was a google map of a location on the beach, just up from the lighthouse in a tucked out the way cove.  
  
' _Guess I've been summoned._ ' She grinned, quickly finding Rachel's trainers from the previous day. ' _I really should bring some of my clothes here. Can't keep borrowing Rachel's clothes_.'  
  
She passed a quick glance at the lone piece of cake on the side as she headed for the door. Walking down the street, the midday sun shining brightly in a cloudless sky, Max hummed to herself as she happily chewed down another bite of the recently liberated lone piece of cake. One day, she'd be able to walk down the street without hiding what she was, but she'd settle for going to see friends, even if it usually resulted in something a little crazy. Her short experience with Chloe and Rachel had taught her that much.  
  
_'I'm sorry, for poking fun by the way_.' Akira didn't want to completely piss Max off. That would be counter-productive.  
  
Max frowned, suspicious. _'Who are you and what have you done with Akira_?'  
  
' _Look, you're kinda like my only permanent link to the living world. I gotta get my kicks from somewhere.._.' Akira explained matter-of-factly. ' _However, if you wanna talk serious, then I'll shoot straight_.'  
  
' _Really... what about..._?' Before Max could press her for details about her past, Akira cut her off.  
  
' _Accept that you know how I feel about my past_ '  
  
Not willing to back down that easily, Max insisted. ' _It makes you who you are, so of course I wanna know_.'  
  
Akira let out a sigh, _'I'll tell you one day, I promise.'_  
  
' _Can you at least tell me WHY you can't?_ ' Max asked frustratedly. Akira knew pretty much all there was to know about her, so why couldn't she just make it a level playing field and share personal information herself?  
  
' _It's... complicated_.' More than Max could ever guess. ' _Look, the day I tell you will be the day you no longer need me. That much I can promise you.'_  
  
' _That actually sounds depressing_ ,' Max admitted, not expecting to feel so sad about that possibility. Sure, Akira was a pain but it would feel lonely without her.  
  
Akira called bullshit on that. ' _Oh come on, you can't wait for the day I'm no longer around_.'  
  
' _Only due to your smart-ass comments and reluctance to actually open up to me... although some privacy would be nice occasionally._ ' To be fair, it was getting to the point where she forgot there was someone else in her head, until Akira started talking anyway.  
  
' _Like I said, you're my only link to the living. So, smart-ass comments are kinda staying for the most part, but I can be serious when you need me to be_.' Tired of discussing this, the elder Ahri switched topic. ' _Speaking of, we're getting off track.'_  
  
' _No were not, see_ ,' Max replied pointing to her phone to show they were in fact going the right way.  
  
' _Hardy har, such wit. You know what I meant_.'  
  
Kicking a small stone along the path as she swallowed the last of her cake, slightly disappointed there wasn't any more, Max let out short sigh as she entered the wooded forest. The canopy of leaves blocked out the sunlight, giving the breeze a much cooler feel. Off to her left in the distance, the waves could be heard lazily crashing onto the beach, with a few gulls calling out to each other somewhere out to sea.  
  
' _I'm not sure... I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel, or what I'm looking for._..' Max struggled to find the words to express how she felt right now.  
  
' _I'm listening,_ ' Akira reassured, curious to see what she was going to say.  
  
' _Joyce is family, I feel the same about her as I do my own mom. Unlike Victoria... I think we could be friends. You, on the other hand... it's a love-hate relationship_ ,' the young Ahri smirked.  
  
' _And you say about my wit, hypocrite_ ,' Akira chuckled lightly.  
  
' _It's the company I keep_ ,' Max shot back playfully.  
  
Akira noticed three key people Max hadn't spoken about yet. ' _And Rachel, Kate, and Chloe_?'  
  
Those three names made her frown. ' _I... don't know... it's confusing_.'  
  
' _Try me_.'  
  
' _I… like having them around, I guess I_...' Max hesitated, unsure whether she wanted to continue that thought or not.  
  
' _Smartass comments are off right now, pinkie_ _swear_ ,' Akira promised.  
  
Not too convinced by the promise, Max continued regardless. _'Is it bad I wanna curl up with 'em at night?_ '  
  
' _Hussy_ ,' Akira teased lightly.  
  
' _See, this is what I mean_.'  
  
' _Sorry, sorry,' the elder Ahri chuckled, 'I couldn't help it. Ya know I'm only playing.'_  
  
_'Uh-huh._ '  
  
Keen to cheer Max up, Akira gave her opinion. _'On a serious note though... no, it's not, although…'_  
  
_'Although?'_  
  
Seeing no point in beating around the bush, Akira continued. _'I might be reading too much into it... but there's more to it than that, isn't there?_ '  
  
Max frowned, not sure what she was getting at. ' _Not sure I follow.'_  
  
_'By my count, it's three times now you've put yourself in harm's way to protect them, Kate in particular_ ,' Akira explained, remembering them clearly.  
  
' _I don't want them to get hurt…_ ' Max paused, wondering where that number came from. ' _Hang on, three_?'  
  
Akira sighed, realizing she would have to literally spell it out. ' _When Chloe first came home, at school impersonating the head, and last night with that guy... Frank_.'  
  
_'I hardly count intimidating the head a personal risk_ ,' Max corrected.  
  
' _Someone paying attention may figure it out,_ ' Akira pointed out, ' _but that's beside the point_.'  
  
Dropping the point for now, Max focused on the more important side of this conversation. ' _Yes, I want to protect them, although the easiest way would be to not be around them until this is sorted.'_  
  
Getting so tired of the circle of blame, Akira had to really bite her tongue. ' _And were back here again, Max, it's not your fault_.'  
  
Sensing the frustration from her passenger, Max relented her self blame. ' _I know… It's just... The thought of losing any of them… it terrifies me_.'  
  
' _They're your pack_ ,' Akira answered simply.  
  
'My what?' Max choked in surprise. Out of all the answers Akira COULD have given, that wasn't the one she had been expecting.  
  
' _Your pack_ ,' she repeated. ' _You know what one of those is, right_?'  
  
' _I know what a pack is,_ ' Max replied immediately, ' _but I'm not a...'_  
  
_'You were gonna say wolf, weren't you?_ ' Akira finished, sounding mildly accusatory.  
  
' _No_ …' Max mumbled weakly.  
  
Seeing right through the lie, Akira continued. ' _Do you remember what I said to you the first day we met?_ '  
  
_'I am both, so I need to think like both_ ,' Max recited begrudgingly.  
  
' _Exactly.'_  
  
Confused, Max frowned. _'Still, they're not wolves, though_.'  
  
' _Ever seen a male Ahri?_ ' Akira asked. Even Max should know the answer by now.  
  
_'Trick question, they don't exist,_ ' Max answered with ease.  
  
' _And yet were still born_ ,' Akira pointed out. ' _Here's a hint, it's not immaculate conception_.'  
  
_'I… I knew that.'_  
  
' _Ahri_...' Akira paused, correcting herself, ' _ok, I can only really speak personally, but we're not picky on race_.'  
  
Max considered that for a while, trying to get where she was coming from. ' _Sooo, you're saying I've pretty much adopted Kate, Chloe and Rachel?_ '  
  
' _More or less.'_  
  
_'That doesn't really... oh, we're here_.' Thankful for the distraction, Max stopped on the beach in front of a large cave entrance, the waves gently crashing against the shore behind her. Several footprints in the sand led inside along with some other markings, like something had been dragged through the sand. _'I wonder what Chloe's cooked up this time_.'


	24. Loss and Betrayal

** Loss and Betrayal **

Max made her way down the dimly lit tunnel, the sound of the crashing waves on the beach fading the deeper she went. Up ahead, she could hear the periodic faint dripping of water followed by its soft echoes. Rounding the next bend, the daylight faded as it failed to penetrate the darkness a new light drew the young Ahri in, a soft orange flickering light - a fire of some sort.  
  
' _Akira, what's wrong?_ ' the young Ahri asked, sensing a little unease from her passenger.  
  
Mild panic setting in, Akira urged her to leave this place. ' _I don't... we shouldn't be here_.'  
  
Not understanding the issue, Max continued ahead. ' _Relax, didn't you say I needed to get out more?_ '  
  
_'Max, please,_ ' Akira begged, sounding uncharacteristically desperate and vulnerable.  
  
The young Ahri wasn't about to turn around now. _'If you're that nervous, you're free to go visit someone else, I won't hold it personally. Besides, I'm here with friends.'_  
  
Feeling Akira still present but at least quite for now, Max pressed on. Passing another bend, she entered a huge cavern. Naturally carved jagged stone walls surrounded her, two tunnels opposite each other leading in different directions. Several old-fashioned naked torches dotted around were sufficient to light up the cavern but did little to light the tunnels. Two thick crooked pillars held up the ceiling, looking like giant arms. Stalactites of various lengths protruding from the ceiling. Water glistened in the torchlight as it trickled down dripping into soft dirt. It felt eerily familiar.  
  
A muffled noise coming from her left caused the young Ahri turn, gasping as her gaze fell on the source of the noise. "What the hell?"  
  
In front of her were Rachel, Kate, and Chloe, all chained to the wall with heavy looking iron locks. Their mouths were taped over with duct tape, its silvery surface glinting in the torchlight. All three of them were trying desperately to tell her something, but all she could hear was muffled sounds.  
  
Without even thinking Max ran over to her friends, ripping the tape of Rachel's mouth causing the young hunter to wince. "Sorry... what the hell's going on?"  
  
"…Sophie, you need to get the hell out of here now," Rachel warned.  
  
"Sure, as soon as I get you guys free," Max stated, peeling the tape of Chloe and Kate's mouths as well, then tried fruitlessly to pull at Kate's chains.  
  
"He could come back anytime," Kate added fearfully, her eyes darting around the dimly lit cavern.  
  
"Who?" Max pressed as she looked around for something to get them loose.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Rachel's sword, sheathed and leaning against the wall next to the hunter. Picking it up and unsheathing it, she jammed the blade in between the locks, twisting the blade as she put her weight against it causing it to bend. With a loud ping the lock sprung open, the sudden release of pressure causing the young Ahri to stumble. As Kate wriggled free of her restraints, Max got back to her feet holding the now snapped sword, the other half of the blade still wedged firmly in the lock.  
  
"Sophie, take Kate and get the fuck out of here before he comes back," Chloe ordered, not taking no for an answer. "It's him."  
  
The suspense was killing her. "WHO?!"  
  
"That would be me," a familiar voice answered, echoing in the cavern, "glad you could join us for your final class, Sophie."  
  
The cold tone of the voice sent an involuntary shiver down the young Ahri's spine. Swallowing her apprehension, she turned to face the direction where the voice came from. Her blood ran cold as she saw a tall dark-haired figure exit one of the tunnels carrying a large old partially rotten box. She recognized him. Muddied black trousers, and shoes, with an equally muddied white shirt, the sleeves rolled up just below the elbow. A well-kept goatee and a pair of spectacles framing a pair of deep purple eyes giving her a predatory glance.  
  
"Mr. Jefferson!" Max exclaimed, very confused.  
  
' _Max, go wolf, grab Kate and run, NOW!_ ' Akira urged, trying to press the young Ahri to move.  
  
Glancing over to Rachel and Chloe, who were still restrained, she shook her head. _'I... I won't leave them._ '  
  
The elder Ahri was quiet for a second, her response sounding desperate. ' _Please don't make me make you_.'  
  
Max felt a little betrayed by that threat. 'Y _ou promised me you wouldn't.'_  
  
_'Max this is differ_ -' Akira didn't have the chance to finish that sentence.  
  
' _NO, AKIRA_!' Max screamed in her head. ' _I will not leave them behind_.'  
  
"It's one of many I have, but you'd know all about that wouldn't you, Sophie," a twisted smirk tugged at his lips, "having different identities."  
  
He roughly placed the old, large box down with a thud, kicking up a plume of old dust and dirt. A faint rattling noise came from inside. Judging by the shape, it was pretty obvious what it was, a coffin, someone's final resting place. A harrowing thought that he could just callously dig up someone's grave then toss it around like he owned it.  
  
"What...what do you want?" Max asked, putting herself between their history teacher and her friends.  
  
Mr. Jefferson let out an amused sigh, withdrawing a pistol from his trousers pointing it right at the young Ahri. "Glad you asked actually. Like a lot of people, I want lots of things in life: recognition, a comfortable life, that stone around your neck, to name a few," he replied motioning to Max's necklace with the pistol.  
  
Seeing Max placing her hand protectively over her necklace, Kate stepped forward. "That was her mother's. It's all she has left. You can't."  
  
"And what could you possibly need it for? You already have one, I've seen it," Rachel pointed out, confused.  
  
"Oh, I do," Jefferson responded pulling his own necklace out from his shirt with his free hand, "but I don't want it to wear, although that one does look a little better than this little stone."  
  
"The drugs, Frank's mix up, you're using them to make whatever it is that gives you those freaky eyes," Chloe summarized, eyes slowly filling with understanding.  
  
"Smart girl. Always was impressed by your GPA, especially considering you skip half your lessons. You're right, a stone this size," he motioned to his own around his neck, "will make enough O8 to last me maybe two months. The one around her neck, nearly two years."  
  
"If I give it to you... no fuss, you leave us alone," Max stated, desperate for some peaceful solution. She was tired of fighting for her life.  
  
Jefferson offered a slight grin. "Of course."  
  
"DON'T, he's lying," Kate warned, sensing his deepest, darkest desires. There was no way he would be letting any of them go, not now they knew his secret.  
  
Giving her a glare, he dropped all pretenses. "Gah, ya see this is why I always avoided you, Miss Marsh. That annoying little ability of yours. Unlike at school, I can't hide behind all the students... ha, Of course, I can't let you go, you already know too much."  
  
"So you're just gonna kill us, just for a fucking hit," Rachel concluded. "That is so low."  
  
"No, of course not," Jefferson was quick to add, sounding frustrated at his motivations being so quickly labeled. "Not that the reason is gonna do you any good, but I'm actually on the brink of a major discovery. Can't have a bunch of kids messing it up. People might start asking questions."  
  
"What discovery?" Rachel asked trying to buy as much time as possible to come up with... anything.  
  
Just like in his lectures, Jefferson seemed to love the sound of his own voice. "Well, I'm actually surprised you asked, but if I'm going to be honest, then I think it's only fair we're all honest here. Don't you agree, Sophie? Why don't you show your friends what you really are?"  
  
Seeing no reason to hide and with nothing to lose, Max allowed the charm to fade. A shimmer flickering over her appearance as her blonde hair receded to shoulder length brunette, her black ears and twin tails becoming visible as well as the freckles across her face trailing down her neck. Her orb was poised on one of her tails at the ready.  
  
Chloe began laughing manically, shaking her head in disbelief. "You really are stupid.... we know what she is, and WHO she is. She's Maxine fucking Caulfield. You really think she kept it from us, dumbass."  
  
"Well, it's just one surprise after another, isn't it? How long's it been? Five years now, to the day if I'm correct. I know I won't forget in a hurry." His face darkened considerably as he stared the young girl down.  
  
"Who… who are you?" Max stuttered, a sinking feeling inside her telling her she already knew.  
  
"Oh, I think you know." Jefferson smiled, rolling up his right sleeve to reveal the perfect coin sized hole just above his elbow. "Little parting gift from that bitch you call a mother. Sorry, called, since she's gone now. I should use the right tense since I'm the teacher here."  
  
Her teeth set on edge, Rachel shot back to hurt his pride. "Shame she missed your heart, but it's such a small target I can't really blame her."  
  
"Oooh, you wound me, Miss Amber," Jefferson mocked, feigning hurt dramatically.  
  
Kate looked at the man before them, his true form. "I'm… I'm inclined to agree. Hunting down the Ahri just for a bunch of stones…"  
  
"You too, Miss Marsh, and here I thought you were the passive type." He sighed, almost sounding disappointed. "I've already told you, it's much more than that."  
  
Rachel frowned at him. "So you keep saying."  
  
Giving a slight nod, Jefferson sat himself down on the end of the old dusty coffin, keeping the gun pointed squarely at Max and Kate. "Well, if you're up for one final lecture, I guess I can't refuse a final request."  
  
This was the chance Rachel had been looking for, to get him talking. "Dunno about everyone else, but I'd at least like to know why I'm about to die"  
  
"And why you killed our parents," Chloe added bitterly.  
  
"Ah yes, your parents." His expression turned distant at the memory, only for a second, like he was reliving every life he had taken in vivid detail. Worse still, enjoying it. "Well, your fathers and your mother Rachel, they were close to someone I was after."  
  
"My mom," Max stated matter-of-factly.  
  
He gave her a smile like a teacher praising a student. "Correct. As for your mother, let's just say she wasn't very talkative."  
  
"Gee, I wonder why..." Chloe snapped sarcastically, "oh, yeah, your killing Ahri."  
  
"That's part of it, although I guess killing that husband of hers didn't do me favors," he shrugged.  
  
"Guess you skipped that lesson, Jeffershit," Rachel muttered under her breath, trying to come up with a way out of this.  
  
Ignoring the outburst, he pressed ahead. "Anyway, I wonder how much attention to detail you've been paying in class. Do you remember a village by the name of Iona?"  
  
"Wolftown," Kate breathed, a flicker of recognition across her face.  
  
' _Max, we need to go_ ,' Akira cut in.  
  
Max felt a tug of influence from Akria, clamping down on it as best she could. ' _Working on it_.'  
  
' _Like now_ ,' the elder Ahri insisted.  
  
_'I KNOW! If I move, Kate's dead._ ' She could NOT let that happen.  
  
_'Max'_  
  
Oblivious to the conversation in Max's head, Jefferson grinned. "Ah, so someone was paying attention. Care to elaborate."  
  
Kate took a deep breath before continuing, "Iona – better known as Wolftown – won't be found on any map. Even historians debate whether it actually existed or not. It was supposed to be the hometown of werewolves. The story goes, five centuries ago, the village was destroyed on a stormy night by a savage beast. Every man woman and child was killed… although no evidence has ever been found. With no village, no culprit and no witnesses... I fail to see what this has to do with anything. It's a myth."  
  
"It's not a myth, not anymore," Jefferson stated, tapping the top of the old dusty coffin. "You see, there was actually a witness. A child that survived. He bore the scars of his attacker till the day he died, and I got to speak to him."  
  
Rachel frowned, doing the math. "If that were true, you'd be over four hundred years old."  
  
He smirked, his ego inflated. "Four hundred and eight to be exact. I know, I don't look it."  
  
"I think I'm gonna puke," Chloe muttered rolling her eyes at his narcissism.  
  
"As I was saying, he described the creature to me. His description was if I recall a little vague, but he was adamant it was a large multi-tailed beast. At first, I thought he was referring to an Ahri, but he was certain it had many more than just two tails, and was using some sort of dark magic, something unnatural," Jefferson explained, clearly loving every second of this mini-lecture.  
  
Rachel was quick to refute his claims. "Sounds like a childhood nightmare. If he was even there, he probably just thought that's what he saw. There's nothing in the Guild archives of anything that can lay waste to a whole village, particularly one-half filled with werewolves."  
  
Jefferson smiled slyly. "Obviously you've not been in the black vault then."  
  
"What's the black vault?" Kate asked, looking at Rachel with a tilted head frowning.  
  
Sensing the bullshit, Rachel replied. "There is no black vault, I think I'd know. I've got ways of getting places I shouldn't."  
  
"Clearly, there are some secrets not even you are privy to, young lady," he added smugly. "As I was saying, in the black vault there are many things. Most are old relics and dusty trinkets, but there is a rather impressive library down there... I would say it's a good read, but you'll never get to see it... sorry."  
  
"That's bullshit."  
  
Sighing, Jefferson ignored the interruption. "Believe what you will. Point is, while I was down there, I came across a few interesting pictures, and some rather curious documents, referring to a many tailed beast – an Ahri like creature. One document in particular even hinted at one being seen leaving the area of Wolftown the day after the assault."  
  
"And you think this... creature actually existed, based on... a myth and an old scribble, and the tale of a senile old man?" Chloe asked, skeptical about the whole thing, as they all were.  
  
Jefferson chuckled. "I admit it does sound a little far-fetched, so I did my own research. I must admit, following a trail over four hundred years old is a little hard. I knew if I was going to get anywhere I'd have to ask around, and the Ahri seemed to be the best place to start. After a while I found one Ahri who had a vague memory of what I was looking for, her name was Joanna."  
  
Unable to keep quiet anymore, Akira once again pleaded for her to leave. ' _Max, we really need to get out of here.'_  
  
_'Trust me, I'm keeping an eye out_ ,' Max assured her passenger. Akira seemed rattled which was worrying, to say the least.  
  
"She confirmed the creature I was looking for existed. She had not only seen, but had spoken to her herself, although she couldn't remember the name." He seemed a little annoyed at that but continued. "With the trail going cold, I had to take... a slightly more aggressive approach."  
  
"You started killing Ahri," Max surmised, putting as much disgust and disapproval into those four words as she could.  
  
A twisted smile crossed Jefferson's features. "Indeed, although I had a few near misses to start with. Seems Ahri aren't just cute and cuddly. That was until I came across this little drug O8, certainly made things easier. Downside is, it's a little... addictive."  
  
Still confused, Kate pressed for more detail. "I don't get it. Why kill the Ahri, though? What does that achieve?"  
  
"Well, it would seem, according to Joanna, that this particular Ahri liked to look after the other Ahri – a kind of Alpha if you will," he paused for a moment, keeping them in suspense. "The thinking is simple, killing Ahri..."  
  
"Would draw her out," Chloe finished for him.  
  
Glad to see someone following, he nodded. "Exactly, just like a typical werewolf."  
  
Max had to stifle a low growl at the insinuation. "We're NOT werewolves."  
  
He regarded her with an insensitive look, clearly not agreeing. "Is that so? Well, we can just agree to disagree. The upside to this, I got a steady supply of Azurelite stones to feed my little habit. Perfect little operation you could say. I must admit, I still find Ahri a nice challenge, and now they're all in hiding makes the hunt more interesting... that is until you came walking right into my classroom, Max." The way he was looking at her made the young Ahri feel ill to her stomach. "Talk about opportunity."  
  
"You're a monster. Most of those people you've killed never hurt anybody," Kate finally spoke, sounding uncharacteristically angry.  
  
Not threatened, Jefferson continued calmly. "What if I was to prove to you that I'm right? That multi-tailed Ahri actually existed. It would prove that the myth is no myth, but fact. An unprovoked attack on a harmless village full of women and children, all slaughtered with no regret."  
  
"Doesn't justify what you're doing," Rachel retorted bitterly. "It's murder, plain and simple. And even if you COULD prove she existed, you have no idea why it happened."  
  
"True on all counts, except one," Jefferson replied coldly as he got to his feet. "I can prove it, wouldn't be teaching if I couldn't back up my findings." He tapped the dusty coffin with his foot. "Wanna take a guess what's inside?"  
  
Max could feel Akira trying to push herself onto her. Pushing her back, she snapped at the elder Ahri. ' _Akira, I KNOW! Stop pushing!'_  
  
Rachel swallowed hard. "I'm guessing someone's remains."  
  
Giving a slight nod, Jefferson ripped the half rotten lid off, the four sides falling flat now they're support was removed to reveal an aged humanoid skeleton. Several bits of rotten fabric still clung to various bones, a dozen or so small insects scurrying into hiding. Kate turned away, gasping. The other three girls' gaze fixed on the remains. Down by the legs were dozens and dozens of small bones, held in place loosely by small amounts of remaining fur.  
  
"Six, seven, eight, nine. Nine tails," Chloe mumbled as she counted them off.  
  
"She existed," Rachel breathed, staring at the impossible bones.  
  
Now proving he was right, Jefferson smugly motioned towards the remains like he had won a prize. "You sound surprised."  
  
"Then that means... that Wolftown…" Kate's sentence petered off into silence as the realization hit her.  
  
"It was real. He's telling the truth. The black vault exists," the blonde hunter concluded incredulously.  
  
"I might be many things, but a liar is not one of them," Jefferson said, looking at the lid in his hands, blowing on part of it and rubbing away more dried dirt and dust, "And we have a name gimme a second, my Latin is a little rusty."  
  
Seeing Jefferson muttering something as he tried to work out the faded writing, Max seized her chance. She put herself back in front of Kate, her orb turning a solid black as she prepared to launch it.  
  
"Akira, here lies Akira. Gone, but not forgotten," Jefferson translated confidently.  
  
Max's breath caught in her throat as she tried to process what she just heard. Kate was stunned, staring at the young Ahri with her mouth hanging open. A torrent of emotion erupted from Max: betrayal, deception, anger, pain, hurt, pleading and guilt. So much guilt, too much for one person to bare, hit the young empath like a mental bullet, causing her to double over as tears ran freely down her face.  
  
Chloe couldn't wrap her head around it. There was no way it could be the same Akira, it just couldn't. It didn't add up. Akira had only been around for thirtyish years. Those remains were clearly much much older, a few hundred at least.  
  
Rachel was just as shocked, just as much in disbelief. A quick glance at Kate, who met her gaze giving her a small nod, told her it was true. It was the very same Akira.  
  
_'It... it was you_ ,' Max finally realized what all those strange dreams had been about. ' _They weren't dreams, but memories. Your memories.'_  
  
_'Max, I...'_  
  
Not giving her the chance, Max launched into an unforgiving rant. ' _You murdered everyone. I watched... felt you do it. You WANTED to do it.'_  
  
_'Max, please_ ,' Akira pleaded, wanting the chance to explain her actions.  
  
' _No, you've lied to me all along.'_ Overwhelming betrayal rocked Max to the very core. Sure, she had never really trusted her passenger, but this…  
  
_'Max_ …'  
  
' _That's why you wanted to leave so badly, so I wouldn't find out what you are, what you DID_!' Now, Akira's behavior made so much sense. ' _All this time, you've been pushing me, pretending to help me, and for what? What was the point? Why are you even here, Akira?'_  
  
Sighing, the other Ahri stuck in Max's head replied, 'To _right a wrong... so many wrongs. It's so fucking complicated to explain everything. What else was I supposed to do?'_  
  
Anger bubbled up as Max spat back. ' _You might have started by telling me the truth. How was I ever supposed to trust you when you couldn't tell me this? You're no better than Jefferson. You're the reason my life, my family was destroyed, and you knew. You knew all along what was going on._ "  
  
Eager to refute her assumptions, Akira quickly corrected her. ' _NO, Max, I have NEVER lied about that I had no idea, I swear. You have to believe me.'_  
  
' _Why should I? Is everything you told me a lie?_ ' Max had little reason to believe Akira before, even less now.  
  
_'No._ '  
  
' _Oh great, so only half of it was_.' In some ways, that was worse. _'I want you gone, out of my head, and out of my life. I don't wanna hear from you ever again.'_  
  
Remaining silent for a moment, Akira replied softly, ' _Ok, I'll go, once he is dealt with. You may not believe me, Max, but I intend to keep my promise to your mother.'_  
  
' _Don't you DARE...'_ Max cautioned, not wanting to hear this now.  
  
"NO!" Kate screamed as a loud gunshot echoed through the cavern.  
  
The sound snapped Max out of her internal argument, finding Kate now in front of her slightly hunched over clutching her chest as she stumbled backward. The young Ahri instinctively reaching out, catching the empath gently lowering her to the ground.  
  
"KATE!" Rachel screamed. She rattled against her restraints, trying desperately to get free but failing miserably. The only thing she managed to do was hurt herself from all the pulling. Not that she cared now.  
  
Looking down at Kate's chest, just below her left breast, Max noticed thick red liquid seeping through her white blouse. The young blonde's breathing was shallow as she struggled for breath.  
  
"Nonononono," Max blubbed, pressing a hand firmly against the wound trying to fruitlessly to stop the bleeding. "Why, Kate? Why?"  
  
Reaching up, Kate ran a finger down the side of one of Max's ears smiling weakly. "Pretty Ahri," she mumbled before her arm fell weakly to her shoulder.  
  
Max took her hand in her own blood soaked hand, entwining their fingers tightly. "Please, don't die. I... I can't lose anyone else," she cried, her mind going blank not knowing what to do.  
  
"Please, not her," Rachel sobbed, slumped against her binds in defeat as she watched helplessly. She couldn't even be at her side.  
  
"I'm gonna fucking kill you," Chloe hissed, tears already running down her cheeks as she strained against her chains, the iron links protesting under the strain but unyielding.  
  
Jefferson shrugged and sighed, "It's always the quiet ones getting in the way. Don't worry, you'll all be joining her so..."  
  
Jefferson's voice was drowned out by an earth shattering explosion as Max's orb slammed him backward through the remains of the coffin and one of the jagged stone columns into the cave wall, kicking up a huge plume of dust, dirt, splintered wood, bone, and rock.  
  
Chloe's eyes went wide at the crater left behind. As the dust cleared, Jefferson couldn't even be seen under the debris. Max's orb turned back to its electric blue as sprung back to one of her tails. The young Ahri eyes hadn't left the dying blondes.  
  
"Re... g... t," Kate's voice was ghostly quiet as several tears ran down her cheeks. Not hearing her clearly, Max leaned in closer as Kate repeated her word. "Re… gret," Kate exhaled one last time as her soft hazel eyes closed.  
  
"No no no," Max muttered as she sobbed into Kates' chest, clutching her dead friend, "I'm so so sorry, Kate, so sorry."  
  
"Kate, NO!" Rachel screamed, now sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Chloe just sat there watching her best friend hugging the young empath, not believing what her eyes were showing her. She couldn't be gone, it wasn't fair. She didn't deserve this.  
  
' _Max... I'm... so, so sorry_.' Nothing Akira could say would fix this, and she knew it. Still, she had to try.  
  
Pity was the last thing she wanted now. ' _I don't care anymore._ '  
  
' _Max!_ '  
  
Putting aside her complicated feelings about her passenger, Max focused on the important issue. ' _Answer me one thing, Akira. Can I count on you_?'  
  
' _Max, you always could. I'm not_ …' She didn't have the chance to finish.  
  
' _He doesn't leave here alive, Akira. Whatever it takes, he's not laying a finger on anyone else. Not Rachel, Chloe or any other Ahri_ ,' Max stated, resolute. Too many people had suffered by his hand.  
  
' _Max, I_ …' Again, she was interrupted.  
  
_'Do you hear what I'm saying, Akira? Whatever it takes, I'm willing to pay_ ,' Right now, the only two things in Max's mind were revenge and protecting her friends. ' _This isn't just about me anymore. No one else is going to suffer because of him. THAT BASTARD DIES!'_  
  
On the far side of the cavern, a deep groan emerged as various bits of rubble fell from the freshly made hole, Jefferson staggering out. He straightened himself out as he passed a glance towards the bereaved girls.  
  
"I'm gonna kill you!" Chloe hissed getting to her feet as she again started pulling on her bindings, the coarse iron cuffs cutting into her wrists causing blood to run down her hands over her fingertips, the physical pain ignored.  
  
Jefferson rolled his shoulders, tired of this. "Not from there you're not, you, on the other hand, I've had enough of your backchat."  
  
"No," Max muttered as she lay Kate's body gently down.  
  
"Max!" Chloe gasped, ceasing her struggle against her chains as she looked at the young Ahri's face.  
  
Tears and blood were smeared across her red puffy freckled cheeks. Raw anger permeated her facial features, but her eyes were the most striking. The once deep blue almost completely gone now, replaced by a bright vibrant emerald green, almost glowing, say for the smallest patch of blue nearest the pupil. Max was letting Akira in, far more than she had seen before. Just how far was she willing to go?  
  
She watched as Max carefully took her necklace from around her neck, placing it on Kate's motionless chest and positioning each of the empath's hands over it, careful to keep some contact with it until she was done.  
  
"This is your last day on earth, you asshole," Max's voice was hard as steel, every word filled with raw hate, dripping in venom.  
  
Rachel didn't take her eyes off the young empath's body. Grief had all but consumed her as she stared at the lifeless body, a girl she had cherished since they day they met, now forever out of her reach, or maybe not. Maybe she would join her soon, they all would. At least she would get to see her mom and dad again, maybe, if such things existed.  
  
Her train of thought was broken by a deep growl that reverberated and echoed around the cavern, causing her to tear her eyes off Kate. Focusing on Max, she watched her explode into her wolf form, clothing appearing to vaporize at the volatile transformation. Another deep growl echoed around the cavern and down the dark tunnels. Her orb was now a solid black, flicked from tail to tail.  
  
"Max," Rachel muttered as she watched the young Ahri launch herself at Jefferson, who effortlessly sidestepped the attack.  
  
He took a swing as the wolf sailed past, only to find air as the wolf twisted mid-flight to avoid the blow. Her black orb slammed into Jefferson, causing him to stumble. Before he could recover, Max was on him, teeth bared snapping viciously at his face as he wrestled to keep the jaws at bay. A swift kick sent the black wolf hurtling through the air, crashing into the soft earth.  
  
Both combatants quickly getting back to their feet. In one swift motion, Jefferson took a small bottle out from his pocket. Instantly, he swallowed one of the small purple pills kept within. a sly grin working its way onto his face.  
  
"Max, be careful," Rachel cautioned, not trusting him to fight fair.  
  
"She doesn't stand a chance now, I'm afraid," Jefferson leered, the grin on his face fading as he watched a second solid black orb appear on Max's un-occupied tail, "Impossible"  
  
"Oooh, fuck yeah. Not grinning now are we, asshole," the blue-haired punk goaded.  
  
"Told you she was holding back on you," Rachel stated, suddenly very aware of the atmosphere in the cavern. The air felt heavy, charged almost, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. "Hey, Chloe."  
  
"I feel it too," Chloe muttered to herself, shivering, "feels freaky as fuck."  
  
"What do you suppose…?" Rachel began to ask.  
  
"Akira, it has to be," she replied. Max is letting Akira take over."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"The green in her eyes," Chloe stated matter-of-factly, "the more of it, the more Akira is in control."  
  
Watching the standoff, Rachel felt a pang of unease. "What happens to Max?"  
  
Chloe swallowed, shaking her head. "I... I don't know"  
  
Before they could say another word, one of the black orbs shot towards Jefferson, closely followed by Max. He dodged out of the way with lightning speed, Max's second orb already hurtling towards his new position as the first returned to its place on one of her tails. Once again, he dodged the incoming missile, the second orb slamming into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave of dust and dirt outwards, like a stone in a lake, before it zipped back.  
  
Unrelenting, the first orb once again hurtling towards him. Jefferson hissed as once again he was forced to reposition, quickly relocating out of the way again as the second orb was sent flying. Seeing an opening while both orbs were airborne he lunged at Max, who narrowly got out of arms reach. Instantaneously, she sent both reclaimed orbs back towards Jefferson. At such close range, he didn't have time to dodge. Both glowing orbs slammed into him, sending him once again careening across the cavern.  
  
Before the orbs had returned, Jefferson was back on his feet, his creepy sly smile plastered on his face. Max leaped towards her orbs, instantly flicking them back towards him the second they touched her tails. Not even attempting to move this time, he allowed the first orb to hit him. It passed right through him, as though it didn't even exist. Clenching his fist, he swung at the second orb.  
  
A stone splitting crack filled the cavern as the orb was sent hurtling back towards Max, slamming into her chest. She yelped in pain as she flew into one of the nearby stalactite formations, another cry escaping her throat as she slammed into the ground. The first orb faded to nothing as the second one returned to its owner's tail, a large visible crack running from top to bottom.  
  
Confused and worried, Rachel's question echoed around the cavern. "What the fuck just happened?"  
  
"One was an illusion, a distraction. He figured it out," Chloe observed helplessly.  
  
Rachel's hazel eyes focused on the broken orb. "I mean the other one, he actually cracked it."  
  
Dusting himself off, Jefferson stood up straight. "That's a new one, I must admit. Next time, you might wanna make sure the fake doesn't actually hit anything. It's a bit of a giveaway. And of course, I cracked it. It's only stone after all."  
  
Panting heavily as she got to her feet, Max looked back at the crack in her orb and then back to Jefferson. She allowed her orb to return to its blue state before shifting it back to its solid state, as good as new. The second orb also reappeared on her other tail.  
  
"I must admit, I don't think I've ever had this much fun before." Jefferson simply scoffed, lunging once more at the black wolf.  
  
Max quickly juggled the two black orbs on her tail before launching them both towards Jefferson and springing out the way of his assault. Both parties missed their targets. Jefferson was the first to react, springing after the wolf before she even touched the ground. She barely escaped the vampire's clutches. Again, a high pitched pained yelp echoed through the cavern as Jefferson caught hold of one of Max's tails, slamming her into the ground. He didn't stop, swinging her by the tail through the remaining jagged stone column. This elicited a much weaker cry of pain before he sent her careening across the room. She landed in a heap as a small section of the now unsupported stone roof collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the floor.  
  
"MAX!" Chloe screamed as she watched her friend feebly try to get herself unpinned, then collapsing under the added weight.  
  
Jefferson grinned to himself as he sauntered over to the downed wolf, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. A small whimper escaped the wolf as he did so. "Tut tut, Max. I would give you an A for effort, but you cheated. As a teacher, I can hardly condone such behavior."  
  
"You can fucking talk, you hypocrite," Chloe snapped hotly. "Why not let me down and give me a try. I'll rip your fucking head off."  
  
Jefferson scoffed, frowning slightly as if considering something. "You know what they say: the best way to kill an Ahri is to kill those closest to her. I think I'll put that to the test" He said, slamming Max's head down into the dirt, eliciting another small yelp as he walked over towards Chloe. When he got there, he grabbed her throat with one hand and squeezing, a vile grin on his lips, "You know, you've always had a way of pissing me off. I think I'm gonna enjoy squeezing the life out of you, like the pathetic bitch you are."  
  
"Leave her alone, asshole," Rachel demanded, although she didn't have much authority in this situation.  
  
To shut her up, he placed his free hand around the young hunter's neck squeezing, causing her to choke almost instantly at the crushing force. "Maybe I should just do you both at the same time. Or I could just have some... fun with you first," he sneered, relaxing his grip around Rachel's, grinning vilely.  
  
"I… I'd rather die," Rachel choked out, scrunching her face up in disgust.  
  
He seemed mildly impressed by her resolve. "Oh, you will, don't worry about that, but first I think we need som..."  
  
A deep long snarl reverberated throughout the cavern, causing the two girls and Jefferson to look over towards Max, who still lay partially buried under the piles of rubble.  
  
"Ah, fuck," Rachel winced as a static shock from the iron chains shocked her. The air felt more energized now than it had minutes ago.  
  
The sound of grinding stone filled the cavern as Max began forcing herself to her feet, even with the extra weight on top of her. The slab of rocks slid off her, air growing thicker by the second. Several small objects dotted around the cavern began glowing a brilliant white, quickly joined by another half a dozen. More small objects joined in the glow, the air now saturated with static.  
  
"What the fuck is this?" Jefferson muttered, releasing his grip around the girls' necks, causing both to gasp for air as they watched the spectacle unfold.  
  
A drawn-out howl erupted from Max, the glowing objects appearing to respond by dimming to a subtler glow, making it easier to see what they were.  
  
"Bones!" Rachel gasped watching as the small pieces of bone began slowly lifting off the dirt.  
  
The broken remains lazily circling in the air, occasionally colliding with each other. It appeared as if they were trying to get into some sort of order. One by one, the small bones zipped towards Max, taking up their place at the base of her tail. Quickly, the others followed suit, connecting to the previous until all the bones were in place.  
  
Seven long bony tails now sat snugly next to Max's original two. Once this ritualistic process was complete, another long howl erupted from her. The thick air felt as though it was sucked towards her as the tails began glowing more brightly. The glow quickly engulfing her own two tails spreading across her whole body, which seemed to grow in size clearly more than a foot taller than she was before.  
  
Like a switch had been flipped the air returned to normal. The glow engulfing Max subsided, revealing a now pure white wolf with nine bushy full tails. A bright blue orb now rested gracefully on the central most one. Two completely deep emerald green eyes stared back at the girls, zeroing in on Jefferson. A deep threatening growl vibrated the air around the cavern.  
  
"What the fuck is this?" Jefferson barked, demanding answers.  
  
Chloe swallowed. That wasn't Max anymore. Just how far had she gone? A sinking feeling filled the pit of her stomach as she muttered one name.  
  
"Akira."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, what do we think so far.
> 
> Who saw this coming. (Well apart from myself and Olivia, we can't get around spoilers as we write it lol)
> 
> This is a little bit of a plea, but it's for a good cause.
> 
> I and Olivia would very much welcome any feedback, We're both Authors, both have our strengths and weaknesses (I think I have far more weaknesses than Olivia, you do NOT want to read my un-edited stuff believe that)
> 
> So if you like what your reading, let us know in the comments, If you like/dislike a certain character/aspect, or ANYTHING let us know, Did we blindside you with something, Can you see what's coming, anything let us know.
> 
> We can't get better without your input, and this goes for ALL writers, not just us.
> 
> As for the conclusion of this story, the final chapters are in the works, It all comes together, all the build-up So would be nice if anyone can guess what's coming.
> 
> Until then, let's hear your opinions :D


	25. Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when we left, our little Ahri things were looking... dire, to say the least.
> 
> Kate's dead, Max was beaten to a pulp, and Jefferson was about to squeeze the life out of Chloe and Rachel who are chained up. Turns out, Akira was the one committing the murders in Max's dreams. Oh, and Akira appears to have been resurrected using Max's body.
> 
> Can things really get any lower?

**Regrets**

**Early 1500's, Location: South of Iona, AKA: Wolftown**

In amongst the trees of the forest, two people stood. They were having some kind of debate. One was a male, long red hair, and deep brown intelligent eyes. He was fairly muscular, yet short. Average looking, ginger stubble and sharp teeth. He was a werewolf. The other figure was a woman, his partner. She had white hair and piercing emerald green eyes, not much shorter than him. The pair had been traveling together for a few years now, most of which they had been lovers for. 

"Are you sure you can handle this on your own?" the white-haired woman asked, concerned. 

"Go on, I'll be fine, Akira," her mate reassured, giving her one of his awkward smiles. "You know me. Always did do the lone wolf act well." He let out a playful howl to lighten the mood.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
He waved away her question. "I can handle myself. Besides, we're just there to investigate the disturbances. For now," the red-haired male assured her.  
  
"I know. I'll be as quick as possible," she promised. What she had to do shouldn't take too long. An hour at most.  
  
"You'd better. Surely you don't want me to get all the action," he added teasingly, appealing to her competitive nature.  
  
Grinning back, Akira shook her head. "I'd never hear the end of it."  
  
Her mate waved her off, running on ahead to the village while she went in the other direction to take care of her business.  
  
Entering the small hamlet of about two dozen buildings, she walked past a few fishermen as she crossed an old stone bridge, two of the men giving her a welcoming smile. She smiled back, giving them a slight nod as their attention was diverted to another who just got a bite on his line. Down the cobbled street, there were houses either side made of wood and plaster. Several street lamps flickered as the lamplighter made his way to each unlit one in turn, lighting them for the night ahead. Passing an old looking Tavern, the occupants inside letting out loud belly laughs and high pitched giggles, the smell of Ale and roasted meats wafting out the open stained windows, a gust of chilly winter air cut through her clothes causing her to pull her cloak closed. Turning the corner, she came to a house like any other on the street, albeit a little more worn down than the others, a lit lamp in the doorway signaling the occupants were home. Giving the door a brief knock, she waited patiently for the occupant.  
  
"Who is it?" came an elderly female voice as a body shifted towards the door.  
  
"Miss Berkinsale, it's Akira. We spoke last month about your stepdaughter," She replied softly.  
  
"One second," the frail voice replied. A moment later, the door opened to reveal an elderly woman, shoulder length gray hair and aged light skin, a small pair of spectacles balanced on her nose. She greeted the Ahri with a smile and welcomed her into her home.  
  
"Thank you." Accepting the invitation with a smile, she stepped inside, lowering her hood to reveal her long white hair with her white ears poking through. "I'm afraid I can't stop for too long. I'm on an errand for the hunters' guild, but seeing as you were on the way and you're in need, I couldn't not help... Is she here?" She asked softly, taking note that the downstairs was quiet.  
  
Nodding the elderly woman called up the stairs, "Joanna, could come down here please," and then shuffled into the front room, sitting in an armchair next to the open wood fire and offered the Ahri a seat.  
  
Politely declining, Akira's attention was turned to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. A young girl of thirteen, almost fourteen entered the room, shoulder length fiery red hair and rosy cheeks. The girl's deep brown eyes went wide and her jaw hung open when she saw the Ahri standing in the living room.  
  
The elderly woman chuckled. "Joanna, it's not polite to stare," she whispered, offering Akira an apologetic smile.  
  
"Sorry, Miss. It's just... pardon me, but... what are you?" The young girl asked shyly, unable to take her eyes of Akira's ears.  
  
Akira waved her off, smiling at the young red head as she removed her cloak to reveal nine white bushy tails along with her blue orb resting gracefully on one of them. "She's never even seen one?" Akira asked the elderly woman as she watched the young girl stare in awe.  
  
The elderly woman shook her head sadly. "Her mother died shortly after she was born, disease. Me and my husband adopted her from the orphanage when she was two. They told us what she was, not that it mattered. She's a joy to have around, and everyone loves her to bits… particularly the baker's son. Can't keep them apart," she chuckled.  
  
"Mom…" the young redhead whined going slightly red in the cheeks before frowning..."What do you mean what I am?" she asked, puzzled.  
  
Akira smiled and knelt down in front of the young girl flicking her orb from her tail to her hand, holding up to show the young girl. "It won't hurt you," she assured her as the young girl hesitantly reached out to touch it.  
  
"That is so cool," Joanna gasped as her hand passed through the blue orb.  
  
"Joanna... Do you know what tomorrow is?" Akira asked.  
  
Joanna nodded. "Yes, it's my birthday. I'll be fourteen."  
  
"That's right," Akira confirmed. "It's a very special age for someone like you."  
  
"Miss, I'm afraid I don't understand," Joanna replied looking at her stepmother in confusion.  
  
The elderly woman just gave a small nod smiling reassuringly. "It's ok Joanna. It's nothing to be worried about."  
  
"She's right. You know, I'm glad you like this," Akira said tossing the orb from one hand to the other, "because in two days... providing you eat properly, you're going to have one."  
  
Joanna's eyes went wide in shock. "Huh?"  
  
Akira chuckled softly. "And to answer your earlier question, I'm an Ahri... and so are you."  
  
"A what!" Joanna gasped looking to her stepmother who just nodded, still smiling.  
  
"I know it might sound a little scary, but it's really not. Tomorrow around the time you were born you'll change. It will feel a little uncomfortable, possibly even a bit painful, but it will pass very very quickly. Once it's over... you'll be a wolf." Holding her hand up to stop the red head from interrupting she continued. "Don't panic, take a few minutes to get used to it, then come and find your mom. She'll put this on you, and then you'll turn back into you... mostly," she finished as she pulled out a purple stone on a leather string, handing it to the elderly woman.  
  
"What do you mean mostly?" The redhead frowned. "You mean ears, tails and that ball thing," she said pointing at the orb.  
  
Akira chuckled. "Ear's yes, tails yes, but only two, and this thing." Akira juggled the orb from hand to hand again. "Yes, but you have to eat properly. It takes a lot of energy as does the whole transformation," she explained.  
  
"I always eat my dinners," the girl stated proudly.  
  
"It's gonna take a little more than a normal dinner." Akira grinned. "For me, it was two small deer."  
  
"I don't think mom can fit a deer in her oven," the young girl puzzled.  
  
"Oh, they weren't cooked" Akira stated waiting for the girl's reaction.  
  
"Eeew you ate it raw." The young girl sounded just as intrigued as she did disgusted by this.  
  
Akira chuckled again. "Did you forget already? You're part wolf. Just take the necklace off and poof, you're a wolf again. After that, just let your instincts guide you, though I'd suggest going with a local hunter on your first outing, just in case you need help actually killing something."  
  
"I've been hunting with pappa before, maybe he could take me," Joanna said hopefully looking at the elderly woman.  
  
"We've already made plans for tomorrow night to do just that," the elderly woman assured.  
  
After explaining the basics of the girl's orb, along with her illusion charm including a practical demonstration of both, Akira made to leave the dwelling, promising to return in a few days to see how Joanna was getting on.  
  
"I'm sure she will be fine, she seems excited at any rate," Akira said to the elderly woman as she was shown out.  
  
"Thank you, Akira. You didn't have to do all this," the elderly woman said offering a few coins to the Ahri.  
  
Akira waved her off. "No need. Just glad I could help. I'll see you soon."  
  
With her task complete, Akira headed out of the little hamlet and headed towards the village. It was filled with a werewolf majority, a few humans there too. The werewolf population had been causing trouble in the surrounding towns and farms. Nothing too serious, Mostly scaring people and killing livestock, but enough to go and investigate.  
  
As she got closer, something felt… off. She couldn't put her finger on it. The air smelt strange, not like it should. It didn't take her long to realize why when she reached the village. Just on the outskirts, a few feet away from the entrance, a pike was stuck into the ground. On the point, a decapitated head had been skewered. Not just any head… a werewolf. Not just any werewolf…  
  
Blood running cold, Akira approached the pike. Her heart raced and her stomach sank, body going numb as she stared at the head. It couldn't be. Her eyes must be lying. This… no. No, no, no, no, NO! She refused to believe it. As much as she tried to come up with an alternative explanation, deep down she knew it was pointless.  
  
She fell to her knees, reaching up to touch the face that had once belonged to her mate. His expression was grotesque, the cut at the bottom of his neck jagged and uneven. Bile rose up from her stomach, the sight turning her stomach and making her throw up. What the hell had happened?! She had only been gone for an hour or so, maybe two at most. This was worse than death, this was humiliation, total and utter disrespect. Desecration.  
  
Overwhelming despair engulfed her, hot tears streaming down her face. That soon gave way to a fiery rage, burning right down to the core. Someone had to pay for this. EVERYONE.  
  
Charging towards the village, she burst into her wolf form letting loose a deep threatening growl as a clash of lightening lit up the night sky and heavy raindrop began pelting the ground. Letting her hatred consume her, she entered the village square ripping the throat out of the first person she came across and intent on ripping it and all those within to shreds. Nobody would escape, not after this. The blood-curdling screams that followed, from men, women… children, echoed hauntingly. Sharp claws tore into material and flesh indiscriminately, teeth snapping like a bear trap crushing bones. A metallic taste permeated her taste buds as the carnage ensued.  
  
Some tried to stop her, pelting her with stones and arming themselves with sticks, not that it saved them. Others ran, but they just weren't fast enough. Some begged for life, their pleas emphatically ignored. Logical reason had been bypassed. It didn't matter who, how or why, all she knew was this unquenchable lust for vengeance.  
  
Realizing that she was not going to surrender or be taken down easily, people shifted to beasts, werewolves. Only some of the village were truly human, the ones she had already dealt with. Faces morphed, fur sprouting, eyes becoming more predatory, teeth elongating and claws extending. The muscled beasts snarled threatening, murderous intent in their eyes. They lunged at her, jaws snapping and claws scratching. What she lacked in brute force she more than made up for with her speed and her orb.  
  
Her nine tails floated behind her, an orb shifting to the rightmost one as she flung it towards her opponents. It bowled straight into them, pulsating black. Pained yelps and whimpers came from their ranks, bones cracking as the orb whipped back to her side. Her opponents regrouped, circling and snarling menacingly. One surged towards her foolishly, others following. This werewolf was larger than the rest, maybe the Alpha of the pack given the way the others were falling back on its position.  
  
She was outnumbered, battered and bruised, blood oozing out of several wounds where tooth and claw met with her white fur, staining it, but that didn't matter. Bloodlust had taken over now, making the 'impossible' irrelevant.  
  
Soon, the cries gave way to eerie silence. Not a single sound in the aftermath say for the pelting rain. The village was in ruins, alone in the center, surrounded by mangled bloodied bodies, the red blood washed away by the rain and seeping into the ground around her. Looking down at her paws and seeing the blood sticking to fur and claws, the rage ceded to guilt and regret. What had she done? Then, a wracking howl erupted from her throat, expressing the pain. It wasn't enough. Nothing would ever make this right.  
  
She trudged away from the destroyed village, her shoulders slumped and head bowed. Pain surged through her body, both emotional and physical, although the scratches and bites were nothing compared to the empty void inside her. Her heart felt heavy and her body numb. Just how had this happened? She had lost so much today, too much.  
  
She looked down at her hands, well, paws as they were now, White fur stained with the blood of the innocent. In all likelihood, none of those people she killed had a hand in her loss, they had little reason to, but she had lost herself to grief. Like never before.  
  
Her feet refused to move as she stared at her paws. She needed to wash the blood off. There was a stream nearby. She knelt down and dipped her paws in the crystalline water, watching the liquid turn a cloudy red. Splashing her face, she stared into the water. Her reflection showed that of a wolf. A beast who had slaughtered an entire village in a fit of rage and blind hatred. Angrily slicing at the water, she stood and ran. Never looking back.

* * *

The scene faded to black for a moment before illuminating to a dimly lit cavern, the light of several flickering candles encircling the area. Taking a few moments to adjust to the drastic shift in lighting the surroundings becoming clearer. Jagged walls made from stone, carved out by nature and time, two clear tunnel-like structures leading off the main cavern much too dark to see down with the naked eye. A pair of thick crooked stone pillars sprouted up from the ground, supporting the ceiling above. Multiple stalactites, varying in length, pointed downwards, water glistened in the candlelight as it ran down each pointed icicle shaped formation, soft echoes as they hit the small pool below. The place felt safe, peaceful even, with a strange tension hanging in the air.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" A voice asked her solemnly. She looked up to see a familiar face, a vampire, a friend. Merci had been by her side through the good and bad, had her back. Now, she was the only one Akira could trust to help one last time... to alleviate the unbearable emotional pain.  
  
"Yes," she answered after some hesitation. "I can't… can't keep going anymore. I've tried, I really have, and I hate asking you to do this, but… after what I've done, after what I've lost, how can I justify living?"  
  
"What about…?" Her friend began, not having to finish the sentence for Akira to know where she was headed. Her duty as Omega. Maybe this was a last attempt to stop her from going through with this plan.  
  
Sighing, Akira hung her head. "Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that I can't continue like this. There are enough, more deserving Ahri to hold this title. Doesn't have to be me. After what I've done, even after all this time, I'm not worthy."  
  
Merci gave her a sympathetic look. This was obviously hard for her, yet she still didn't refuse Akira's request. "I don't blame you. Not at all. I just wish… I'm really going to miss you."  
  
Akira swallowed hard, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. "I know...We'll see each other again someday."  
  
Her friend nodded stiffly, coming to stand in front of her. She took her by the hands, pulling her to her feet and into a warm embrace, voice wavering. "I'll make it as quick and painless as I can."  
  
Warm brown eyes shifted to a deep crimson, the stuff of countless horror films and nightmare. A second of pain as she felt a pair of needle-sharp fangs pierced her neck. She could feel her blood draining, life force ebbing away by the second, slowly. She was dying. Her body struggled to remain active, mind flashing with images from her past. All she could do was watch them flicker like a film before her eyes. Each breath becoming weaker, her body growing cold as her vision became hazy.  
  
She could feel her friends heartfelt sob as her warm tears fell from her cheek onto her shoulder and chest as she fulfilled her friend's final wish, 'Thank you, Merci, live well. See you around'.  
  
This was how it was supposed to be. She could finally see her mate again, apologize for letting him run off on his own and get murdered in such a disrespectful manner. He deserved more than that. So much more…  
  
With a final slow exhalation, she drifted away into an eternal sleep. Lost to the world forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that certainly changes things.
> 
> See you in the next chapter.


	26. Predecessors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone figured out what's going on yet... no?
> 
> Read on.

** Predecessors **

Allowing her eyes to flicker open, seeing a rocky ceiling with several broken stalactites hanging, the young Ahri frowned as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. A gentle light cast long shadows along the floor and up the cavern walls.  
  
"Now you know the truth, my guilt, my shame," a familiar regret filled voice suddenly spoke.  
  
Getting to her feet, Max turned to where the voice came from. In front of her was a woman about her own height. Long white hair flowed over her shoulders, stopping just above her waist, two furry white ears poking up through. Two sad emerald bright green eyes stared back at her from a soft face. The figure was dressed in a revealing white blouse, blue jeans with brown boots. Behind her, nine white bushy tails swished gently, an orb resting on one emitting a gentle pale glow.  
  
"Akira," Max breathed, not believing her eyes.  
  
"Hello, Max," the elder Ahri replied, smiling weakly.  
  
A wash of guilt engulfed the young Ahri. What she had seen in her dreams was completely out of context. It was grief that drove her, and she had judged her without hearing her out. Worse, she put her in the same boat as Jefferson.  
  
Taking a step forward, she wrapped her arms around the elder Ahri burying her face in her chest. "I'm sorry, I should have trusted you," she sobbed.  
  
Akira shook her head as she returned the hug, her own tears rolling down her cheeks. "No, Max, I should be the one apologizing. I should have told you, trusted you would have heard me out."  
  
"Then why... why didn't you tell me?" Max asked, wanting to hear her out. Akira deserved that much, a chance to explain.  
  
Sighing, Akira provided her reasons. "Because I was scared, scared you would reject me, scared you wouldn't trust me. I needed you to trust me..."  
  
"What they did to him, killing him was bad enough, but that… It doesn't make it right, justify it, but I understand. I would have understood." Max would've probably done the same if anyone did that to Rachel or Chloe or… Kate. Thinking about Kate made her want to cry and rip that bastard to shreds.  
  
"I know. I wanted to tell you, came close so many times but lost my nerve at the last moment. So, I tried to keep it from you, and that cost you, and that's on me. I'm so sorry Max, for everything," Akira apologized, guilt overwhelming her. Yet again, she had caused more pain, more death.  
  
"I don't blame you... not really. Jefferson, he needs to be stopped." She pulled away slightly and looking up at the elder Ahri, hesitation in her eyes. "Akira... you have to stop him. You're the only one that can."  
  
Looking down at the brunette, the white-haired girl shook her head, smiling. "No, Max, my time is done."  
  
"But… I felt you, it felt..." Max stammered, thoroughly confused.  
  
Akira chuckled, "I remember the feeling well when it happened to me, although not quite as dramatic. Guess the delay has something to do with it."  
  
"Wha... I don't understand." None of this made any sense to Max. Nothing new there.  
  
Akira just continued to smile. "Jefferson was right about one thing."  
  
"He was?!" Max asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yup," Akira nodded, "I did look out for the other Ahri. Not just Ahri, anyone who needed it, but I'm not... wasn't an Alpha, although there are similarities."  
  
Desperate for answers, Max pressed for more detail. "Then, what are you?"  
  
"I WAS an Ahri, just like you," Akira began calmly. "Then I became something else, that which you now are."  
  
Almost afraid to ask, Max hesitantly posed her next question. "And that is?"  
  
Giving her fellow Ahri a melancholic smile, Akira answered her question. "My successor, Max. You're the next Omega, a protector."  
  
Max's eyes went wide, jaw dropping. "Wha... but… I can barely look after myself."  
  
Akira couldn't help but laugh at that ridiculous notion. "Please, you've proven time and time again your more than capable. You always have been, you just needed to believe in yourself, trust your instincts and see the bigger picture. If these last few days have shown me anything, it's that you're a natural protector, Max."  
  
From protecting friends to protecting everyone, that was a big jump to make. "But they're my... friends, of course I'm gonna protect them."  
  
"And the other Ahri you mentioned?"  
  
Max bit her lip, already knowing the answer instinctively. "Err, well, yeah, of course. They deserve to be able to live without fear. I wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone... well, except Jefferson."  
  
"Even that's too good for him," Akira added bitterly, "but that's why I chose you, Max. Even through all your hardship, you still thought of others, even above yourself."  
  
"Hang on, you died... ages ago, much more than thirty years," Max recalled.  
  
"About four hundred years, give or take," Akira confirmed.  
  
"Then, why did it take so long?"  
  
Akira titled her head to the side curiously. "To choose a new Omega?"  
  
Max nodded. "You weren't waiting for me for four hundred years."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Akira clarified the circumstances of her choosing the next Omega. "In all honesty, I didn't know what I had to do. Didn't realize I had to choose, spent a VERY long time just drifting around. All I could hear was screaming and pleading, living a permanent nightmare of what I had done... a fitting punishment for my crime. Over time, I realized what it truly was - the other Ahri... dying."  
  
"That's horrible." Max couldn't even begin to imagine that; how terrible it must have been.  
  
A wave of sadness crossed the elder Ahri's face, soon replace with something fonder. "Then one day, I heard something much different. Laughter, happiness, it felt warm," the elder Ahri smiled wistfully at the memory, "I wanted to be part of that, to have that warmth fill the void inside me. That was when I met your mother."  
  
"And I couldn't shut her up after that," a familiar female voice filled the air.  
  
Max's ears pricked towards the source. Immediately turning to the new voice, she saw two female figures standing side by side. One had short blonde hair, a pair of golden-ish fur covered pointed ears and big brown eyes with a warming smile. She was dressed in a white robe of some sort, behind her were several bushy golden tails, nine in fact.  
  
The woman stood next to her had shoulder length brown hair with two pointed black ears, one pierced with a simple gold hoop. Soft brown eyes shimmered, mirroring the emotion in her lopsided smile. Two black bushy tails trailed behind her, sticking out of a pair of blue jeans, a red blouse finishing off the outfit. Max recognized her instantly.  
  
"MOM!" the young Ahri cried, breaking away from Akira and launching herself into her mother's open arms. "It's you, it's really you!"  
  
"Hello darling, yes it's really me. God, I've missed you," Vanessa cooed, wrapping her arms around her daughter reassuringly.  
  
"I've missed you so much," she managed through her tears. She hadn't seen her mom in such a long time.  
  
Vanessa held her daughter tighter, whispering, "I know, I'm sorry… I should have told you, wanted to so badly, but it wasn't to be... I am so proud of you."  
  
Pulling back slightly to look up at her mother, Max frowned slightly. "Where's dad?"  
  
Giving her daughter a sympathetic look, Vanessa explained, "It's an Ahri only thing, Max, but he's just as proud of you, and he sends his love."  
  
"Good to see you again, Vanessa," Akira smiled strolling over to the pair.  
  
Vanessa smiled appreciatively. "You too, Akira. Thank you by the way, for looking after her."  
  
Akira waved her off. "It was a pleasure, bit of a pain in the ass at times, but then again, she is your daughter."  
  
"Hey, you can talk."  
  
"Yes, yes I can, and you can't stop me," Akira stated smugly.  
  
"Oh, really?" Max grinned, a quick flick of her tail sending her solid black orb towards the elder Ahri, taking her legs out from under her causing her to fall flat on her ass.  
  
"Ow, hey what was that for?!"  
  
"Told you I'd find a way to hit you," Max smirked.  
  
This elicited a chuckle from both Vanessa and Akira, the elder Ahri holding up her hands. "Ok, ok, I guess I deserved that," she said getting to her feet.  
  
Max's smirk faded to a confused frown as something occurred to the younger Ahri. "Akira," she spoke slowly as the question formed in her head, glancing at her ex-passenger curiously. "Why not my mom? Why not make her the protector, the Omega?"

Akira's expression fell as her ears folded back, her emerald eyes glassing over. "Max I..."

Sensing the older Ahri's guilt Vanessa stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder with a comforting smile. "It's ok, Akira, I'll answer this. The simple answer... is because of you, Max."

"Me?" Max repeated, confused by the vague reply.

Vanessa took her time thinking of the best way to put this. "Well, more like the effect of having you had on me. Not in a bad way... although it wasn't until you turned four and we found out what was going on, that's when I started to freak." She smiled weakly at the young brunette. "The thought of losing you, or worse, not being able to see you grow up. I always had this image of the women you three would grow into. Must admit, I never saw this coming," she gave a small chuckle.

"Huh?"

Smiling, her mother explained, "Chloe's hair and you... nine tails, a protector. I always thought I'd be the one protecting you. Then... William was killed, and I completely lost it. I was terrified so I ran. Akira didn't choose me, not because I valued you above all others, but because I wasn't willing to stand and fight unlike... unlike you."

Her mother was over-simplifying this. "Mom... that wasn't until I saw a friend killed right in front of me."

"You were already going to fight, Max, before Kate... was killed. You were willing to put yourself in harm's way to protect others around you, just like Kate," Akira added sadly, not really wanting to keep bringing up that painful reminder.

Guilt overwhelmed Max at the thought of Kate. "She was protecting me because I was..."

Akira shook her head solemnly. "Max, that was my fault. I should have told you at the start. If I could change one thing, it would be that. I'd happily live with everything else if I could just change that one thing... but don't you think Kate would have done the exact same thing if that gun was pointed at Chloe or Rachel? The result would have been the same."

"Wanting to hide and hoping it would all go away, that's what I did..." Vanessa admitted, voice filled with regret.

Max couldn't see the difference between what she and her mother here. "I did the same, wanted to just run away."

"To stop anyone else getting hurt," Akira reminded. "Max, you were fourteen and had just lost EVERYTHING, yet you were still putting others first. At the time, running was the right choice. You coming back to Arcadia Bay, that was your choice."

That wasn't the way the young Ahri saw it. "Didn't have a choice, you wouldn't shut up about it, but..."

"But you wanted to," the elder Ahri pointed out, "all I did was give you a nudge. The rest was you."

"Of course, Akira here didn't like that one bit. I had a chance to end it there, and I ran away, I didn't realize until after I died, after she told me." There was a distant expression on Vanessa's face as she continued, recalling the memory with clarity. "That was when I made her promise me, promise that she wouldn't let you make the same mistake. To get you out of the shadows, to get you back to Chloe, Rachel, and Joyce. I knew... I knew if she could do that, there was a chance you wouldn't run anymore."  
  
Frowning at the phrasing, Max's mind started racing. "Hang on, to Chloe AND Rachel... I didn't know Rachel." Her eyes went wide with realization as she snapped her head towards Akira. "The other Ahri... It was my mom you were talking too," she spluttered in a slightly accusing tone.

"Busted," Akira muttered guiltily, not meeting the young Ahri's gaze.

"Don't blame her, Max." Vanessa swiftly cut in. "I asked her not to tell you because it would make things so much more painful, for you... and for me, but yes. What, you didn't think I'd be keeping an eye on my daughter? It takes more than death to prevent that."

Max took a moment to process all this, biting her lip as she thought it all over. This was all so much to take in. Just when she thought she had it all sorted out in her head, she realized she didn't even know half the story. At least she was getting some answers now, more than she had before. The picture was becoming clearer.  
  
"I don't mean to... be the proverbial party-pooper as you youngsters call it, but time, unfortunately, is short, shall we do this," the short blonde Ahri said in a regretful tone.  
  
Vanessa broke away from her daughter, nodding slightly. "Sorry, where's my manners, Max, Akira, this is Sareena, technically your ancestor, or rather your predecessor, and she's right, our time is running short."  
  
Max looked between her mother, Akira and the other woman, a very mixed and confused family tree of sorts. "I still don't understand what's happening."  
  
"You always were better at visual cues. Here," Akira said, stepping forwards and flicking her orb from one of her tails over her shoulder to her hand, holding it out towards the younger Ahri.  
  
Max held out her own hand passing a hesitant look towards her mother who just smiled. "Take it, it's yours," Vanessa encouraged.  
  
Taking an audible breath, Max reached out holding her hand open as Akira placed the orb onto her palm. The orb pulsed on contact, flickering several times before dissolving into her hand. A mild itchy burning sensation formed in her hand, quickly shooting up her arm to every part of her body, every nerve lighting up light a bulb as a rush energy filled her.  
  
"Wowzer," Max breathed, feeling the power bubble up inside her.  
  
"That's not all," Akira noted, nodding behind the young Ahri.  
  
Looking behind her, Max's eyes went wide. Where her two tails had been, there were now nine all white bushy tails. "More tails. I'm so gonna need a new wardrobe," she mumbled.  
  
"There not just for show, Max... consider 'em more like, batteries I guess. Unlike your first transformation, these ones come fully charged... well maybe just a teensy bit overcharged." Akira pointed out indicating by holding her forefinger and thumb close together squinting through the gap, causing the younger Ahri to frown. "Well they have been 'charging' for nearly four hundred years, but the extra should bleed off pretty fast... your never gonna have this much energy again."  
  
Max continued to examine her newly acquired tails. "Oh... And white, really?"  
  
Sareena chuckled. "You know you get to pick the color, right? I'm assuming Akira told you that."  
  
Smiling sheepishly, Akira rubbed the back of her neck. "Err, sorry, it kinda slipped my mind."

Sareena shook her head. "Be sure of your choice, though. It's permanent, unless you use your illusion charm, of course."  
  
Frowning as she thought about her choice, a small grin forming on the young Ahri's face. One quick flick of her tails and a shimmer later, the all-white fur changed to a soft light brown, a much closer match to her own hair color. Checking out the new color and nodding to herself pleased with the result, she looked towards her mother for input.  
  
Vanessa just smiled. "It suits you," she said approvingly, wrapping her arms around her daughter once again.  
  
Embracing her mother, Max fiddled with one of her tails, sighing wistfully. "Kate would have loved this," she said sadly, a tear rolling down her cheek.  
  
"I'll look after her, Max," Akira promised, placing a hand on the young Ahri's shoulder.  
  
Looking up at her ex-passenger, she smiled. "I know, thank you,"  
  
"I feel I should apologize, too," Sareena added stepping forward, her gaze fixing on Akira.  
  
"Huh?" Max asked frowning, Akira and Vanessa looking equally confused.  
  
The other woman gave them a look filled with regret. "I should have told Akira what she would have to do in order to pass on the reins, then this whole mess might have been averted... I'm sorry."  
  
Max focused on her. "Wait you mean, you were..."  
  
"Omega before Akira, her predecessor," she confirmed. "Again, I'm sorry."  
  
"Looks like you better write it down or summin', Max, ya know, for future reference," Akira smirked.  
  
With a soft sigh, Vanessa gave her daughter a bittersweet smile. "It's time to go, darling."  
  
Nodding Max took a step back, looking at the three women in front of her, her gaze falling on Akira. "I'm really gonna miss you, ya know."  
  
"I know, but we'll see each other again one day," the white-haired Ahri replied, grinning.  
  
"Just not too soon," her mother added.  
  
Looking between the three older women, Max nodded. "I'll do my best."  
  
Sareena stepped forward, appearing to be pondering something. "Max, may I take a look at your orb a moment, please?" she asked, holding her hand out towards the young Ahri.  
  
With a slight frown and a nod, Max flicked her orb from one of her tails to her hand, passing it to the older woman. Sareena held it for a moment, pressing in various places as if examining it, each press Max could feel. It wasn't uncomfortable, just weird, like someone pressing on a limb, only it wasn't attached to her. Without saying a word, the older woman tossed the orb back to Max. Effortlessly, it zipped back to one of her tails.  
  
Sareena flexed her hands as she took a few steps away, stopping and spinning on her heel. "I don't see why it shouldn't work, not that I've tried before, of course."  
  
"Sareena," Vanessa frowned. What was she thinking?  
  
With a loud clap of her hands, Sareena's own orb appeared on her central tail. A quick flick into the air and it split into eight smaller orbs, each coming to rest on one of her tails, leaving the middle one free. Starting from the left, each orb changed state: the first a gentle white glow; the second a solid black; the third turned into a fiery ball; the fourth a self-contained water globe; the fifth a gentle green version of the standard blue; the sixth a pale blue ball of ice; the seventh a swirling ball of wind and the eighth a crackling ball of electricity.  
  
Akira's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, I'd heard but... you mastered them all."  
  
Sareena gave a light chuckle at the bemused expression. "What, did you think you were the oldest? Sorry, dear, I've got you beat by a LOONG way. As far as I know, I'm the only one who's done it. Most only figure out two or three." Bringing four of her tails to each side, she stepped towards Max.  
  
"Err." Unsure, Max took a small step backward.  
  
"It's ok, Max, pick one. It would appear that mine and Akira's slight oversight has given us an opportunity to... how shall we say, cheat the system, thanks to the extra energy you currently have. Might as well put it to good use." Sareena smiled, offering up the orbs on her tails to the young brunette.  
  
Hesitantly, Max took a step forwards eyeing up the different orbs, letting out a slightly disappointed sigh.  
  
Noticing, the oldest woman of the three tilted her head curiously. "What's wrong?"  
  
"There's one missing," Max pointed out frowning slightly.  
  
"Oh," Sareena proclaimed raising her eyebrows slightly, a ninth orb appearing on her empty tail, the orb itself turning a dark purple. She brought the tail around, motioning towards it. "You mean this one?"  
  
Max's eyes fixed on the purple orb as she nodded. "Uh huh."  
  
Sareena's expression darkened slightly. "The void… Max, you do have the capacity to wield this, however, I must warn you: this is not a natural state for an Ahri to use, hence why it's so difficult to create, let alone control effectively. Change of state comes from the heart. There's only one reason an Ahri would end up creating this, or even using it," she finished, passing a sideways glance to both Vanessa and Akira.  
  
"Hopelessness," Vanessa mumbled, looking guilty.  
  
Sareena nodded in agreement. "And loss. I can count on one hand the number of Ahri that have tapped this particular power, and three of them stand before you. It's never ended well. It goes against the grain of what we are."  
  
Nodding, Max determinedly took a step forward, her gaze firmly fixed on the purple sphere. She reached out for it, stopping inches in hesitation feeling a brief pull towards one of the other orbs.  
  
"Jefferson dies," she muttered to herself. Shaking her head slightly, she reached out to touch the purple orb, only to have all the orbs pulled away from her at the same time. "Huh, but you said…"  
  
"What?!" Akira exclaimed, confused by the withdrawal.  
  
Calmly, Sareena explained, "You hesitated. I could see it in your eyes. Listen to your heart, not your head, Max."  
  
The only thing that mattered now was getting rid of that bastard. For her parents, for Chloe's dad, for Rachel's parents, for herself… for Kate. "All I have to do is hit him with it, and his done. I don't see the problem."  
  
"Max, you already have everything you need to beat him. You always did. What I am offering you is a preview of what you are capable of. It's a one-time thing." Pausing for a second as though debating something, the older woman continued. "Maybe this will make your choice a little easier."  
  
With a quick flick of her tails, the light and dark orbs faded. The remaining seven all turned a pale white. Another flick of her tails and each orb switched between them, much too fast to keep track of. Eventually, they came to rest each on one tail and the older Ahri once again offered her tails to the younger Ahri.  
  
Intrigued by the unorthodox method, Akira asked the question on all their minds. "How can she choose if she can't see them?"  
  
"The void orb is still in there," Sareena replied. "If that is what she truly wants, then she'll choose it on instinct. Follow your heart, Max."  
  
Max passed a pleading glance towards her mother, who held up her hands shaking her head. "Sorry baby, not even I could keep up with that. You're on your own."  
  
A little disheartened, Max turned her attention back to the seven pale white orbs. Feeling a subtle pull towards one, she gave in taking the one that felt like it just belonged. Picking it up, she looked closely at it trying to figure out which one she had picked. With a gentle pulse, much like the one Akira handed her, the orb dissolved into her hand. A comforting rush traveled up her arm, the sensation quickly fading beneath the more noticeable burning tingling sensation of Akira's overcharged orb.  
  
"I had a feeling you'd pick that one." Sareena smiled, another flick of her tails and the remaining orbs disappeared, her own blue orb returning to one of her tails.  
  
"Which one did I…" Max began to ask, desperate to know.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough," was all she responded with.  
  
Akira looked first at Max, then Sareena. "But how's she gonna know if she has no idea?"  
  
"Instinct," the oldest of the Ahri replied. "When she needs it, it will make itself known... remember Max, it's a preview, a one-time deal, at least until you figure it out for yourself. Consider it a bump start."  
  
"Wish I had that," Akira muttered bitterly.  
  
Throwing a knowing smile her way, Sareena shook her head. "You didn't need it, Akira. You had talent. You chose to go a different route with your life, not that that's wrong. You had the tools you needed, so why seek out more? Having said that, options are always a good thing to have.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Akira admitted begrudgingly, before looking towards Max, "Ya know, I kinda wish I had held on a while longer. You guys woulda been fun to be with," she said with a smirk.  
  
"I... Not entirely sure how you mean that." The brunette blushed, having a feeling she knew exactly what Akira meant.  
  
Akira gave her a meaningful wink and a smirk. "Take it either way you want."  
  
Max gave her mom a final hug. "I'm gonna miss you," she mumbled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.  
  
"And I you. No matter what path you choose, Max, me and your father are happy for you, ok," Vanessa reassured, squeezing her daughter one last time.  
  
Taking a step back, Max turned to Akira and smiled. "Well, this is it."  
  
Akira nodded, looking a little sad. "Yes, it is... I told you, you wouldn't need me anymore once I told you."  
  
"Dunno about the not needing you anymore," Max mumbled, feeling a lump form in her throat, "there's still things I'm pretty useless at."  
  
Shaking her head, Akira gave her a playful shove. "You'll figure it out. Just be lucky I was in your head and not on the outside. That little shell of yours wouldn't last long around me."  
  
"That I don't doubt," Max chuckled, blushing slightly as Akira wrapped her arms around her in a big hug.  
  
Vanessa stifled a laugh earning a slight scowl off her daughter. "Sorry, but she has been in my head a bit longer than yours. I've heard all her lines," she defended.  
  
"Not all of them. Still got a few to use on you" Akira baited playfully as she broke her hug with Max.  
  
Vanessa scoffed. "You'll have to get past Ryan first."  
  
Akira walked up beside Vanessa and put her arm around her friend's shoulder, the three women started walking away. "Why get around him? The more the merrier," she said nonchalantly, causing Vanessa to choke slightly.  
  
"Oh, one more thing, Max." Sareena stopped, turning to the young Ahri once more. "Hurry up and send that bastard up here. There's a fairly long queue of people that want to... have a word with him." She grinned, giving a final wave and turning to join the other two as everything faded to white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is.
> 
> So which one did our Little Ahri choose...Guesses in the comments. :D
> 
> I'm sure I'm forgetting something, though... Oh yeah, Jefferson's got an appointment. Can't let him miss that.
> 
> See you next time :D
> 
> Only two chapters left, Both are in final stages so expect them to drop soon :D
> 
> Peace out


	27. Rest in Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now, the final conclusion

**Rest in Peace**

Rachel stood in shock, staring at the large white wolf on the opposite side of the cavern. Frantically, she searched the large emerald eyes for any sign of the brunette she had come to know, refusing to believe that she was gone. It didn't make any sense, none of it did. Just what the hell was going on here?

"This has to be a trick... it's impossible!" Jefferson shouted angrily as he stared at the multi-tailed Ahri, his voice reverberating around the cave. He had planned it all so carefully, right down to the last detail. Not once had this, whatever this was, factored in his plans. He cursed the oversight, fists clenching.

Managing a smile despite the dire situation, Rachel reveled in his rage-fueled confusion. They might get some justice after all. "You saw it yourself. You've been searching for her for four hundred years. Well, now you get to meet her in person... though, I doubt she's in the mood for talking."  
  
Not one to show his panic so openly, Jefferson played it cool. "Hmph, if that's true, then you know what she did. You're just as dead as I am."  
  
"So long as I get to see her rip your fucking head off first, I don't care," Chloe replied in a low voice, staring at him with every ounce of hatred she could muster.

Before Jefferson could reply, a solid black orb came zipping through the air, forcing him to leap backwards as it smashed into the ground kicking up a plume of dust. As the dust cleared, Chloe could see the white wolf stood defensively in front of them staring down Jefferson. It was pretty terrifying if she was honest. The wolf growled and snarled, teeth bared and body tense. Piercing green eyes zeroed in on the vampire before her, murderous intent radiating from both parties as they stared each other down. Whatever happened next, one of them wouldn't be leaving here alive. This was a duel to the death, no question. As for who would come out on top... Chloe and Rachel could only hope for one outcome.

Jefferson seemed amused by the menacing display, taunting the effort. "Ha, what's this? Trying to redeem yourself? I hardly think saving two girls is going absolve you of your sins. How many innocent people, human and supernatural, have you killed in both your life AND death? More than even me, I'll wager."

With a throaty growl, Max launched herself at the vampire. The aggressive lunge forced him to leap aside narrowly avoiding her snapping jaws. He dodged right into the path of her now black orb, the ball of raw energy slamming him into the ground. Before she could capitalize on her attack, he was back to his feet erratically changing his position each time she tried to lunge or strike him with her orb. They were fairly evenly matched in speed, what with Jefferson's Auralite boost. This fight would be won with tactics, not sheer brute force. 

Jefferson dodged behind the chained up girls, causing Max to hesitate for a second as her orb zipped back to her. She didn't want to risk hurting Chloe or Rachel, and he knew that. It was her one weakness - one he was all too ready to exploit. Seeing an opportunity, Jefferson grabbed the hilt of Rachel's broken sword, tossing it at her in one swift motion. A pained yelp followed by a whimper echoed through the cavern as the blade struck her deep in the shoulder. She faltered, stumbling back as the jagged blade impaled her.

Pulling on her chains, the young hunter balled her fists. This did not look good. She watched the young Ahri back off, putting some distance between herself and the smirking vampire. Max gripped the handle of the blade tightly with her jaws, ripping it free from her shoulder with another pained yelp. Thick red blood ran down her leg, soaking her white fur. Letting out a shaky breath, she tossed the broken blade aside as the vampire lunged at her again. Bounding out the way, she almost tumbled on the landing as her injured leg gave way.

Grinning menacingly, Jefferson advanced on the injured wolf, only to halt as a second black orb appeared on one of the wolf's many tails. "Not this again," he snarled. "Didn't you learn last time? Cheaters never pros-" His smug sentence trailed off into silence as another seven black orbs appeared, each one resting gracefully on its own tail.

With a low growl, Max slung each orb in quick succession towards her former teacher. The glowing balls of energy surged forward with incredible force, the vampire leaping out of the way to avoid their trajectory. One orb slammed into the wall, kicking up a huge plume of dust making it difficult to see. The assault was unrelenting as orb after orb went sailing through the air, several explosions kicking up even more dust and debris.

As the dust settled, Jefferson was still standing. Fresh blood ran down the side of his face and chest, the wounds already healed, showing that Max had indeed struck him at least once, maybe more. Nothing fatal, though. "All that show and I'm still standing... you really need to work on your aim," he declared mockingly, ready to finish this little song and dance.

"Who says you were her target?" Rachel taunted, now freed from her restraints thanks to the constant orb barrage. She gripped the hilt of her broken sword, its jagged blade still dripping in the Ahri's blood. Chloe stood beside her, brandishing the other half of the broken blade, both girls eyes fixed squarely of the vampire.

"Well, aren't we full of surprises?" In one swift motion, Jefferson was behind the young hunter and had her arm twisted, pointing her own blade at her throat causing her to breathe sharply. "Move and she dies."

"You fucking coward," Chloe spat through gritted teeth.

He actually smiled at the insult. "On the contrary, I'm just playing smart. Now, if you'd kindly lower your orbs." Jefferson nodded towards Max, eyes shimmering a menacing purple, much darker all of a sudden. He wasn't playing around.

Letting out a low growl, Max looked back at her eight orbs before turning back at Jefferson and letting out a huff. She didn't have much of a choice here. As much as she wanted to ignore him, to wipe that smug look of victory of his face, she couldn't risk it. Too many people had died because of this already and she wasn't prepared to add another to the body count. Seven of her orbs faded into nothing, the eighth returning to its natural electric blue state.

Relaxing a little, Jefferson held on tight to his bargaining chip. "Good girl, I would give you a treat, but... I value my hands. And you can drop that please, Miss. Price," the vampire added, noticing Chloe trying to edge closer. "I think you'll find that I am not messing around here. Deadly serious, in fact." He dug the blade into Rachel's throat, an uneven thin line of blood appearing from the added pressure. "Let's not make this more unpleasant than it has to be."  
  
Reluctantly, the bluenette dropped the broken blade, the shattered sword clattering to the ground. "Now what, SIR?"

Now having the upper hand, Jefferson returned to his usual cocky self. "Well, I'm taking Miss. Amber here with me. You two are going to stay here. Follow me, she dies. Try anything, she dies. That would be a shame, wouldn't it? Once I feel comfortable I'm far enough, I'll let her go and you're free to carry on with your little lives."  
  
Chloe scoffed at the demand. "Just like that, huh? Why should we trust you?"  
  
"You shouldn't, but what choice do you have?" he replied, knowing they had limited options. In this situation, he was in control - no question - and everyone here knew it.

Glancing over at Max, Chloe could have sworn she saw the wolf wink at her. Her eyes went slightly wide as she saw the emerald green fade to a familiar deep blue she recognized. Suppressing a smirk, she gave Jefferson a cold stare. "If she has a scratch on her, I swear, there won't be a hole big enough to hide you."

Backing off towards the entrance while dragging the blonde hunter with him, Jefferson passed an accusing glance at Max as he watched her remaining orb vanish off her tail. glancing over his shoulder just in time to see another black orb zipping back towards the wolf, pulsing a dim white before exploding into a brilliant light blinding the vampire.

"Gha!" Jefferson cried followed by a stiff grunt as Rachel slammed her elbow into his chest, prying herself free from his grip. A sudden sharp gasp escaped him as he fell to his knees, the broken point of Rachels sword now protruding from his chest.

"That was for Kate, you asshole." Rachel hissed into his ear as she gave the blade a twist, causing the vampire to cough up a mouthful of blood.

"And this... this is for my dad," Chloe spat walking up to her former teacher with the broken blade in her hand. Blood ran down it as she gripped it tightly and plunged it into his chest, causing his to cough up more blood.

Gasping for air, the former teacher swallowed down a mouthful of blood before speaking. "You... she's gonna kill you all."  
  
Chloe shook her head, wearing a small smirk. "No, she won't. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? We know who she is."

She took a step to her right as the white wolf limped over, its deep blue eyes fixed on Jefferson. He watched in confusion as the fur shimmered to a soft light brown right before his eyes. This made even less sense than before. What the hell was going on?!  
  
Rachel looked down at him, stone-faced. "Her name is Maxine fucking Caulfield, and you, YOU'RE DONE, you son of a bitch!"

"This isn't ove-" Jefferson wasn't allowed to finish that sentence as Max wrapped her jaws around his head, ripping it clean off his shoulders.

He let out a blood-curdling scream, a bone-crunching crack ringing through the otherwise quiet air as she crushed his skull in her jaws. The rest of his decapitated body turned to a purple-tinged dust before it had the chance to hit the ground, his clothing and the broken blades dropping to the ground with a loud clang. Then... silence.

It was over. Rachel stood, staring at what remained of their former teacher. There wasn't much left... like he had never even existed. That couldn't be further from the truth. So much pain and suffering brought to an end at long last. The young hunters stare was broken by a familiar pair of warm lips being pressed against hers. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the blue haired vampire, deepening the kiss. She felt hands grip onto her tightly, holding on like she was a life raft. Chloe was shaking now, the realization of how close they had all been to death really hitting home.

"What happened to no public displays of affection?" Rachel murmured, pulling back slightly and resting her head on the other girl's.

Chloe's blue eyes focused on her hazel ones, watery with unshed tears as she whispered, "Fuck that. For a moment there, I didn't think we were getting out of that."

"Not all of us did," the hunter mumbled, tears already running down her cheeks as she motioned over towards Kate's body, the suppressed emotion now allowed to run freely.

Following her girlfriend's gaze, Chloe watched as the large brown wolf limped over towards Kate. Her eyes bulged slightly as she watched the wolf change into the familiar form of her best friend. Light brown ears had replaced her normal black ones, blending more naturally with her brunette hair. Her originally black tails were also now a light brown, nine of them in total, It would take a while to get used to that. Her right shoulder and arm were covered in thick red blood from the nasty looking wound on her shoulder. Under normal circumstances, the young vampire would have commented about her friend being completely naked, but right now she couldn't think. She still couldn't believe the short blonde was gone.

Stumbling up to Kate's side, the wreaking pain in her shoulder ignored, Max's legs gave out from under her. Grief overwhelmed her and she allowed herself to break down in a heartfelt sob. "I'm so sorry Kate... so very sorry," she managed between sobs as she buried her face in her dead friend's chest, "it's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair..."

Joining the grieving Ahri, Rachel knelt beside her, wrapping her arms around her as her own floodgates opened, "It... It's not your fault, Max."

Chloe didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't do well at showing how she felt. All she could do was stare at the unmoving lifeless body, stunned into silence. She would never see that cute smile of hers again. She had taken a bullet meant for Max, her best friend, one she would have taken in a heartbeat. Instead, all she got to do was sit and watch as another part of her life was ripped away. She wanted to run, hide herself away, find a corner and just let everything out, but she couldn't. She still had two friends that needed her.

Taking a shaky breath, she took a step towards the two kneeling girls. "Max, I..." she stopped mid sentence as something caught her eye, "Err... Max," when the brunette didn't respond she repeated herself a little louder, "MAX!"

"Not now, Chloe, I'll tell you later," the young Ahri responded between sobs.

"MAX!" Chloe urged. This was important.

"WHAT!?" Max shouted, snapping her head up to meet the young vampire's confused expression, tears, blood and snot running down her face.

"Why... why's it doing that?" Chloe pointed behind the young Ahri.

Following her friend's direction, Max craned her neck behind her to see her orb resting on one of her brown tails. Its normal blue hue had been replaced with a gentle green swirl. Frowning, she wiped the tears from her eyes as she brought her tail in front of her. She took the orb in her hand, shaking her head as she inspected it.

"I... I don't know," she mumbled, poking the green orb with her free hand. A warm tingling sensation rushed up her arm to her shoulder, the pain lessening as the wound seal shut, not completely healed, but at least the bleeding had now stopped. An angry looking mark took the place of the deep gash.

"Wow..." Rachel breathed, watching the wound heal up in no time at all.

Ignoring her shoulder, Max continued examining the orb - deep green swirls spiraling inwards to the center. "Not much use now," she mumbled bitterly, her eyes once again falling onto Kate as a fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks. "Look, Kate... Got a new one," she blubbed, cradling the green ball in her hands.

 _'You're never going to have this much energy again, Max,'_ Akira's words forced themselves to the forefront of the young Ahri's mind.

Her eyes flicking between the orb in her hands, then back to Kate's body and back again. Shuffling on her knee's closer to Kate, wiping the tears from her eyes, she held the orb over Kate's chest, not really know what to expect. Anything was worth a shot now. There was literally nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"Max..." Rachel cautiously called out, curious to know what she was doing. 

Ignoring the young hunter, Max closed her eyes, a fresh tear rolling down her cheek. "Please, please, please... Let this work, just this once," she pleaded as she pushed the orb into Kate's chest.

Chloe and Rachel watched her work, clinging onto one another for support. They didn't bother trying to stop her, both of them hoping beyond hope that this would work. Even if it didn't, they had to try. The orb sank into the blonde empath's chest, a dim green shimmer temporarily lighting up the cave. Energy sparked in the air, making hair stand on end and skin tingle. It felt like SOMETHING was happening. After a few seconds, the feeling passed. They waited... nothing.

Rachel caught Chloe's eye, no more tears left to cry. That sliver of hope had been crushed in a matter of seconds. Max stared at Kate's body, willing it to show some sign of life. "Come on, Kate," she muttered as she closed her eyes, taking hold of one of her hands. This HAD to work.

 _'Akira, this will work, right?'_ she asked, praying to every single deity she knew the name of. No answer.

Just when Max was starting to lose all hope, she swore she felt the hand in hers twitch. Had it been wishful thinking or... suddenly, there was an uneven, ragged gasp, followed by a coughing fit. She definitely didn't imagine  _that_. Turning back to Rachel and Chloe, she saw them rush over, quicker than she had ever seen either of them move before. They all held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. After some time, Kate's eyelids twitched, opening just a fraction. She was totally out of it, but... alive? It was a miracle.

"Holy shit..." Chloe muttered to herself, watching the blonde gradually gain consciousness.

A wave of relief passed over Rachel, feeling a smile tug at her lips. "You can say that again."

Max continued to stare at the slowly reanimating body of her friend, almost not believing her eyes. She reached out and cupped her cheek, brushing dust and small pieces of debris from her skin. Was this some kind of group hallucination, all three of them so deep in grief they were imagining this? If so, she didn't even care. So long as the illusion never ended, she was fine with that. 

When Kate was conscious enough to speak, she managed a soft and raspy, "Ah, shit..."

Rachel actually managed a watery laugh. "Whoa, and that's the second time I've heard you swear."

"Guess we're a good bad influence," Chloe chuckled, still in total disbelief.

Kate gave her a dazed look, face crumpling up slightly. "Think I... ah, can be forgiven. Nearly dying... hurts." When her eyes fell on Max she smiled, her expression soon changing to embarrassment as she glanced away. "Max, you're..."

"Ha, yeah..." Max muttered, making sure her tails were covering as much of her body as she could, not much. This was a little awkward. She wasn't really dressed for such an emotional occasion, not dressed at all for anything, really.

"Hey, if it makes you feel better we could all join you," Rachel mentioned with a wink. "Nothing we haven't all seen before. I'm down."

"Please... don't..." Kate begged weakly.

"Hmm... what was that? A yes?" Rachel playfully teased.

Chloe grinned. "I heard yes."

Her tails wrapping around her tighter, Max gave them a mildly disapproving look. "Come on, guys, give her a break."

Relaxing now that Kate was definitely back, Rachel lightly shoved Max's shoulder. "We're just messing around... mostly."

Realizing she still had Max's necklace in her other hand, the young empath frowned at the Ahri. "Erm, Max, how come you're... well, you?" she said holding up the purple stone.

The blue-haired vampire turned her attention to the glistening gemstone, just as confused. "I was just about to ask the same thing."

Shrugging lightly, Max took the stone off Kate, turning it over in her hands. "I don't need it anymore. Perk of being an Omega, I guess."

"A what?" Rachel asked, frowning.

"I'll tell you later," Max replied, knowing they would want to know everything. There was too much to tell. Glancing at her three friends, she nodded to herself, breaking the stone into three smaller pieces.

Chloe watched her friend with interest. "Max, what are you doing?"

"I'm an Omega, Chloe, a protector. So, I'm going to protect those that mean the most to me no matter what, and I'm going to start with this." Max smiled, placing a piece of the purple stone in Kate's hand, and giving the other two pieces to the bluenette and hunter at her side.

Kate was almost speechless, really appreciating the gesture. It might not completely block out everybody's emotional signals, but it would really help the headaches. "Max, I... thank you."

Rachel took her piece, turning it over in her hands before throwing Kate a suggestive wink. "Guess that means I'm going to have to try harder to embarrass you from now on. Send stronger mental messages... or I can just translate them directly into action."

"Think you might have to get past Max first," Chloe muttered lowly, only loud enough for the blonde hunter to hear. Rachel's lip tugged upwards into a smug smirk, knowing that was probably true.

"I vaguely heard my name there," Max announced accusingly.

Chloe grinned innocently. "Nothing to worry about, my dear Max."

"I'm always worried when you're involved..." the young Ahri sighed, turning her attention back to what had to be done. "Anyway, there's one more thing I need to do before we go." Seeing the confusion on the other three girls' faces, Max continued, "I need to re-bury Akira, she deserves to rest in peace," she finished as she got up and started walking over to her ex-passengers scattered remains.

"I'll give you a hand," Chloe offered as the other two girls nodded in agreement. Leaving Rachel to look after Kate, the pair went to work.

A short while later, their task was complete. Using one of the larger holes caused during the fighting, they placed all the bones they could find inside, the coffin too far gone to be of any use. A simple stack of stones was placed respectfully over the top, covering the remains. Walking back towards the two blondes, Chloe stopped at the pile of purple dust and bloodstained clothes that belong to their former teacher, plucking the two pieces of the broken sword from the pile, along with Jefferson's Aruralite necklace.

"Guess we need to find a way of fixing this," she said, holding up the blade shards to the hunter.

Rachel gave the broken blade a fleeting mournful glance, bouncing back quickly. "I know a swordsmith at the Hunters Guild, does mean a trip to Portland though."

"I'm down with that," Chloe replied almost instantly.

Kate looked between the pair, sighing, "I'll probably regret this, but I'll come too."

Grinning, Rachel made a date of it. "Cool, road trip it is then."

"So, what're we gonna do with this?" Chloe asked, holding up the small purple stone on a leather string. "Seeing as its original owner won't be needing it anymore."

"I actually know someone that could use that," Kate offered.

"Ya know, I think she will be very grateful, might even see her smiling again," Rachel chuckled knowing exactly who Kate was talking about - Victoria Chase.

"Can you move?" the young Ahri asked as she joined the three girls still concerned.

"I... don't know." Kate tried and failed to get herself up on her feet. "Guess not."

Understanding that Kate would need to get carried out of here, Max went to scoop her up. "Here, let me..."

"Uh-uh, no way, Max." Chloe cut in, giving her a stern look. "Not with that injury."

"But..."

Shaking her head, Rachel too was against the idea. "Max, there's no need to overplay the hero."

About to protest, Max realized she was fighting a losing battle. They were right. In her state, she could barely keep herself moving, let alone carrying Kate all the way back to safety. The sooner they got out of this cave and back to civilization, the better. 

Noticing her disappointment, Kate managed to just about move her arm, letting her hand rest on Max's cheek. "Thank you, Max, but I don't want you hurting yourself any more than you have to. I'm already in your debt a million times over."

"That's my line." Max smiled, Even though Kate didn't possess superhuman strength, speed or healing, she had stood up for them all, risked her life.

The blonde empath managed to shake her head just a fraction. "I didn't do much..."

Rachel took hold of her hand, squeezing. "Shit, Kate, you did good, girl. Let us praise you up."

"Yeah, didn't know you had such a badass side," the bluenette added with an impressed grin.

"Without you, we'd all be dead." Rachel pointed out, That much was true. As morbid as it had been, Kate's death had triggered Max's full potential. Without that sacrifice, Jefferson would have been unstoppable.

"Guess I'm not going to win this one, huh?" Kate smiled weakly, eyes wandering over to the direction of the cave entrance. "I, uh, think we should... get out of here. Gives me the creeps."

"Agreed." Exchanging a nod with Rachel and Max, Chloe gently scooped the small blonde up in her arms. Out of the three of them, she was the most suited for the job at the moment.

"Guessing Max isn't quite ready to go au naturale yet," Rachel smirked, seeing Max switch back to her wolf form.

Making sure Kate was secure, Chloe gave her old friend an eye roll. "And you are, I suppose."

"Only reason I don't is to avoid get arrested, otherwise..." she shrugged, not needing to finish that thought.

Shaking her head Max limped out of the cave, with Chloe carrying Kate and Rachel in tow, leaving Jefferson behind once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kate's alive :D
> 
>  
> 
> I had no intention of killing poor Kate off, That would have been cruel, Through all their shit they deserved some good Karma don't you think :D.
> 
> Not gonna lie though, I got teary writing her 'death' and 'resurrection', Although Olivia deserves the credit for like 95% of Kates resurrection. (I might just be a soft sap)
> 
> One chapter to go, just to wrap things up. Till next time:D


	28. Out in the Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it, the final chapter. See you at the bottom

**Out in the Open**

**One Month Later**

Rachel leaned on her elbow, lazily doodling on her notepad as she waited for her 'History of the Races' class to start. To her left, leaning back on her chair feet on the desk, sat Chloe Price - blue-haired punk vampire, her girlfriend. She was deep in discussion with the girl sat next to her - the blonde self-proclaimed Queen Bee of Blackwell - both laughing and chatting amongst themselves. The space to her left empty, waiting for its occupant to arrive. In the next seat over was the blonde-haired empath, Kate Marsh, who was busy putting the finishing touches to a familiar rather large drawing of a nine tailed wolf.

The rest of the classroom was abuzz with chatter. Many discussed everything they had collected on this terms' project, with one or two muttered conspiracies regarding the whereabouts of their teacher, Mark Jefferson. No one had seen him since he set the project almost a month ago, Many suspected he would be here today seeing as it was the project due date. Rachel allowed herself to smile, knowing the exact opposite was true.

The noise of the class dwindled into silence as the door swung open and in walked Principle Wells, stopping momentarily as he passed a quick glance over the class before making his way to the desk. "Good afternoon class. As you're probably aware, Mr. Jefferson is still absent. So, until we can get ahold of him or a substitute, I will be filling in for him on a temporary basis."

"Guessing it will be a substitute," Chloe muttered to the young hunter with a smirk.

"As I understand it, you were left with a project, and the deadline is today." Taking a moment, he went through a list of names on his desk, mumbling them off to himself before looking back to the class. "As it happens, I have everyone's entry so far... except for Kate Marsh, Rachel Amber, Victoria Chase, Chloe Price, and Sophie Ambler... I assume you girls are working together on this." He glanced up from his papers, expectant.

"We are, sir," Rachel confirmed, the other three girls nodding in agreement.

He regarded them with a curious look, waiting for further explanation. "I also assume it's Miss. Ambler that has the report, seeing as it's not on my desk."

"Actually sir, we're going to be giving a lecture on the project. We have something... special planned," Victoria offered, giving the three girls to her right a knowing smile.

"Is that so?" He seemed to be considering this, eventually deciding to humor them. "Well, sounds better than what I had planned. As soon as..." He didn't get the chance to finish, the sound of the door opening cutting him off.

All eyes turned to the door, keen to see who was coming in late. In walked a blonde haired, brown eyed girl, wearing a white halter top, along with a knee length blue skirt, "Um, sorry I'm late," Sophie offered, as she quickly found her seat in between Kate and Rachel.

"You're late," Rachel stated with playful accusation.

"I had to change three times. Still haven't got all my clothes adjusted yet," Max whispered back. If she thought it had been a pain before, this was torture.

"I would've offered to help. Like I keep saying, it's nothing I ain't seen before," Rachel shrugged offering the girl a playful smirk.

"I might have to bite the bullet and take you up on that offer," Max mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Glad you decided to join us, Miss. Ambler. When you're ready girls, the class is yours," the Principle said, giving them a stiff nod before retiring to his seat.  
  
Giving Victoria, Chloe, and Kate a nod, Rachel got up from her seat. With confidence, she made her way to the front of the classroom. Victoria walked over to the door, leaning against the wall, while Kate and Chloe stood on the opposite side of the classroom by the windows, waiting.

"Afternoon, everyone. At the start of the term, we were given a project. Little did we know at the time just how much this project would change our lives - the past, present, and future," Rachel began, just as rehearsed.

Victoria took over next, engaging each and every single member of her audience through eye contact to make sure they were all paying attention. "A disclaimer first, though: what we are about to tell you is not for the faint of heart. In fact, some of it... it's fairly morbid. Other parts are just brutal."

Picking up on the various flickers of emotion coming from her fellow classmates, not quite as strong as before thanks to the smoothed down shard of purple gemstone in her possession, Kate added her opening line. "But we can assure you, everything you're going to hear is completely true."

"And can be backed up by an article that is being released by the Hunters Guild in tomorrow's paper..." Chloe mentioned with a hint of pride over such a monumental find. "We kinda asked them to hold off until tomorrow so we could do this."

Detecting a slight smattering of interest from some of her classmates, Rachel began her dramatic opening. "This whole story starts around five hundred years ago, in a small town known as Iona, or more commonly known as Wolf Town. Before we get into that, however, let us go over the simple bits that everyone here should already know."

"How do you identify an Ahri?" Kate asked, already having a good idea of the answers she would receive.   
  
"Two tails," Taylor said sounding bored.  
  
"Wolf ears," Courtney added with the next obvious answer.  
  
"Well, they're part wolf. A more accurate description would be: Ahri are generally thought of as a type of werewolf. Although not werewolves, there are similarities. Unlike werewolves though, Ahri have two tails, and while human they retain this trait, as well as a pair of wolf-like ears," Brooke recited as though reading from her own script.  
  
"They also have a blue energy type orb, usually kept on one of their tails. This orb has been seen to change color, usually either black or white, depending on whether attacking or providing light," Courtney carried on, passing a victorious smirk toward Brooke.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Brooke let out a sigh. "They also have an illusion charm, giving them the ability to completely change their appearance, including hiding their tails and ears. There could be an Ahri in this very room and we wouldn't even know it."

 Chloe passed a side glance towards where Max was sat, both girls grinning slightly at how close Brooke had come to the truth. Not that it mattered; they would all know soon enough.

"Correct on all count's, although a word of caution... don't go calling Ahri werewolves. Some REALLY don't like it," Rachel warned, causing Kate and Max to both stifle a small snicker.  
  
"Unlike werewolves and vampires, Ahri are female only. Also, unlike the previous two, they can't be made, only born. It's hereditary. If the mother is an Ahri, then any daughters they have are Ahri, too. Ahri also need an external source to remain human, an... Aruralite stone. Without one there, stuck in wolf form," Luke added from the back of the class.  
  
Impressed, Rachel gave him a smile. "Very good. How did you find that out?"  
  
Luke shrugged, not really liking being at the center of attention. "My gran. She knew an Ahri years ago, went by the name of Vanessa Caulfield."

Rachel passed Max a quick glance at the mention of her mother's name, earning a slight nod of the young Ahri before turning her attention back to Luke. "I'm afraid there's some bad news for your gran. Vanessa Caulfield was murdered."

With this announcement, the other classmates burst into hushed whispers. "Miss Amber," Principal Wells got to his feet, warning in his tone.

Ready for potential resistance, Rachel pressed ahead undeterred. "I've already stated all this is fact, sir. It can all be backed up by the Hunters' Guild, as well as an eyewitness... but it is not just Vanessa who was murdered. Both my parents and Chloe's father were also murdered all by the same person."  
  
"And I suppose you know who," he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"We do sir, but you're not going to like the answer," Chloe replied, kind of looking forward to the chaos the answer would bring. It would blow everyone's mind.

Taking the lead, Kate breathed a single breath before responding. "It was... our History of the Races teacher, Mark Jefferson."  
  
The whole class erupted into raised chatter of disbelief and doubt, with Wells looking unimpressed. "That's quite enough. You can't go around throwing such baseless accusations."

"With all due respect sir, we witnessed it first hand," Rachel added. "The official report is being released tomorrow, all the proof you need will be in it. Now, you can either dismiss us from class, give us all a none grade, read the report tomorrow and then give us an apology, or let us give our report then confirm it tomorrow. We don't mind waiting until tomorrow for our grade."  
  
The principal looked at each of the girls in turn before returning her gaze to the young Hunter. "Very well, proceed with your report, but you understand I won't be able to grade it until I see actual proof. These are... some big accusations." He sighed returning to his seat, motioning for the rest of the class to settle down.

Rachel nodded firmly. "Understood, sir, though to be perfectly honest, we're not overly interested in the grade. We just want the truth out there. What's been going on has been kept in the dark for too long; it's time to get it in the open."  
  
"There's one more thing, one more trait Ahri have that no amount of illusion charm can hide. Anyone knows what it is?" Several confused faces started looking at each other hoping someone else had the answer, everyone coming up empty.

"If it helps, I can smell fresh toffee." Kate grinned.  
  
Rachel was next to provide her answer. "For me, it's apple pie."  
  
"Bacon here," Chloe chimed in.  
  
"Weird, I can smell hamburgers," Luke offered.  
  
"You're all crazy, it's obviously freshly mown grass, paper, and spearmint toothpaste," Brooke stated, her eyes going wide as realization struck her. "Wait a minute, are you saying there's an Ahri on campus?"  
  
"More like in this very room," Chloe corrected with a smirk. Again, this statement caused the classroom to erupt into chatter, each student looking at each girl with an accusatory glance.  
  
Courtney stood up, putting a hand on her hip. "Well this is easy to figure out," she said confidently.

"Oh?" Chloe quizzed with a slight smirk, already guessing what she was going to say.  
  
Oblivious to this, Courtney continued. "It's simple. We've already heard that Ahri need the Aruralite stones to remain human. So, who here's wearing one?"  
  
In turn, Kate, Rachel, Victoria and Chloe all revealed their Aruralite stones hanging around their necks, earning several more hushed whispers.  
  
"It's one of you four then!" Courtney exclaimed, sounding impressed by her own deduction.  
  
"Oh, really?" Victoria taunted with a smirk as she took her necklace off, dropping on the desk next to her. Kate, Rachel, and Chloe swiftly followed suit. When none of them changed, Courtney slumped back into her chair looking a little defeated.  
  
"No hard feelings, Courts. Normally you would be right, but the Ahri with us is a little different. I think we should just let you see for yourselves." Rachel nodded to Victoria, signaling for her to get this show on the road.  
  
The blonde vampire flicked off the lights as Kate and Chloe both drew the blinds, plunging the classroom into darkness. Of course, this earned a few whispers and murmurs that were quickly silenced as a dim electric blue orb appeared at the back of the room, casting a subtle blue glow. Finally, the sound of a chair scraping along the floor was followed by several footsteps.

"I feel I should first apologize for my deception on my initial introduction, but as you will see before the end of today, it was necessary. So, from the top..." The sound of the footsteps stopped at the front of the class. "My name, is Maxine Caulfield. I'm nineteen years old."

The orb at the back of the class turned to a dim white, lighting up a little of the classroom as it moved towards the front of the class. It came to rest on a hand, steadily getting brighter revealing Max - shoulder length brunette hair; a pair of light brown furry ears and behind her, nine bushy light brown tails. The reveal elicited several gasps from her other classmates.

"I'm an Ahri, and this," she paused, glancing at Rachel, Kate, and Chloe in turn with a grin, "...this is our story."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, for this arc at least.
> 
> I won't make any promises I can't keep, but I do have a few ideas including all the mushy stuff and their relationships etc. (If I'm honest, I think Olivia was a little disappointed she didn't get to play a little more there. Just means more for the future.)
> 
> I'd like to thank:
> 
> Nothing_You_Can_Prove (Aka Olivia) Co-creator and editor. I may have had the plot, but she brought the characters to life. She's AWESOME. If you haven't read her stuff, what are you waiting for? Go read it, you won't be disappointed.
> 
> Faithceal - For the artwork, she didn't have to, but I'm REALLY thankful she did, and I'm still chuffed to bits.
> 
> And finally, to everyone who's given this a like/follow/Kudos etc. It means a lot.
> 
> Feel free to comment, criticize, give your thoughts etc. Did the mash-up work? Anything you did or didn't like? Did you guess the plot twist? Seriously, feedback is AWESOME, it lets us make ourselves better writers and gives you more stuff to read.
> 
> I'll hand you over to Olivia now, if she'd like to say anything:
> 
> Hey guys, 'tis I. I hope that you have enjoyed this fic, it's been fun lending a helping hand. It's always awesome to get more fics out there, especially from cool peeps like Civ. So yeah, keep an eye on this space 'cuz there will no doubt be more LIS stuff on the way. The brain of a fanfic writer never seems to stop. Have an amazing day, take care of yourself and see you around!
> 
> Peace out.


End file.
